Pictures of Squirrels
At Work And At Play

Looking for pictures of squirrels? You will find both red squirrel pictures and gray squirrel pictures here. Learn all about their living habits and what they eat.  

Did you know that a squirrel is any of a group of small to medium-sized gnawing animals with a long, cylindrical body; a furry tail; and powerful jaws?  Any one of them make fantastic pictures of squirrels to enjoy and share with friends.

Squirrels are some of the most popular and easily recognized animals because of their curiosity, liveliness, and wide distribution. Perhaps this is why pictures of squirrels are so popular.

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What is a Squirrel?

Squirrels live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.  They may be divided into three general types:

1. tree squirrels
2. flying squirrels
3. ground squirrels

But the squirrel family, (Sciuridae - that is the scientific name) , is made up of approximately 270 species. They make up one of the largest families of rodents. Yes I said rodents.  They are rodents because they are gnawing animals. 

Beavers, mice and rats also belong to the rodent order. I think squirrels are the cutest though, don’t you?  I know I would rather have pictures of squirrels.  But then a picture of a beaver would be nice too.

Tree squirrels - are tree-climbing, bushy-tailed animals that inhabit most of the world's forests. They weigh from 1/3 ounce to 61/2 pounds (10 grams to 3 kilograms). They are active during the day. Familiar tree squirrels include the eastern gray and eastern fox squirrels of North America, the Eurasian red squirrel, and the giant and tricolor squirrels of Asia.

Flying squirrels - are tree climbers that have folds of skin between their front and back legs. These folds enable them to glide long distances. They weigh from 3/4 ounce to 51/2 pounds (22 grams to 2.5 kilograms). They are nocturnal--that means, they sleep during the day and become active at night.  

Most flying squirrel species live in southern Asia. Two small species inhabit North America but are rarely seen because they are strictly nocturnal. If you happen to have a flying squirrel in your pictures of squirrels collection, I would love to share it with our readers. Jus use this form to send us any pictures you would like to share.

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Ground squirrels - are compact, short-tailed, burrowing rodents that are especially abundant in open country. They dwell mostly in grasslands and tundra. The most common ground squirrels found in North America are the small, striped or spotted rodents that are actually known as ground squirrels.

These squirrels belong to the genus Spermophilus. That is why I did not include them in the pictures of squirrels page. Other types of ground squirrels include chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs.

Squirrels Eating Habits

Almost everyone is familiar with the idea that squirrels store nuts for the winter season. This behavior was started mainly because of their dependence on certain foods.

They eat mostly nuts, seeds, and pine cones.  These are a rich source of energy.  But they are hard to eat.   And they may be available only certain times of the year.  This means squirrels must spend a lot of time searching for food.  Then they have to remove the food from its hard covering.

In areas with hot summers and cold winters, many kinds of seeds and nuts are abundant in late summer and fall.  In these areas, squirrels often store large supplies of food in the ground, under fallen leaves, or in stockpiles near their nests that can be defended.

Squirrels have a good memory and a sharp sense of smell.  This helps them find and retrieve the hidden food during the winter.  Squirrels in most areas supplement their seed-and-nut diet with other foods, including fruit, buds, shoots, bark, sap, insects, eggs, and fungi.  In the tropics, these softer foods may replace seeds and nuts completely.

Where Do Squirrels Live?

The availability of nests is the second most import thing for squirrels.  Nests provide protection from heat and cold, a refuge from enemies, a place to raise young, and a storage site for food.  A squirrel usually has more than one nest and can move quickly to an alternate nest if threatened.

In the fall when the tree branches start to become bare, you can catch a glimpse of the squirrel nests. You will see two such nests in the film strip of pictures above.  They are often in the same trees as bird's nests.

Many tree and flying squirrels use different kinds of nests for winter and summer.  The winter nest consists of a cavity in a tree trunk or branch lined with leaves, grasses, chewed bark, or other padding.  The summer nest is a leaf nest consisting of twigs, leaves, vines, and other plant material woven into a ball in the fork of a tree branch.  Some squirrel species use a leaf nest the year around.  Such leaf nests are called dreys.

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Choosing The Right Camera

When it comes to taking nature and flower pictures, you are given many options. I use the Canon PowerShot A510 digital camera to take the pictures on this site.  This camera is considered the low end of digital cameras.  But since it was my first experience with digital I wanted to start small and work my way up.

My next adventure in camera shopping will surely be with Canon.  For me the Canon camera seems to be the easiest to learn and maintain.  If you are thinking about making the jump to a new digital camera, let me recommend a Canon.

I have been doing some research on the prices of digital cameras and the best places to buy them. After a lot of deliberation and thought I decided to go with the place that many people trust. I have partnered with amazon.com to bring you Nature and Flower Pictures Digital Store

 

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