by Coco

Hi everyone,

Here are some facts about Red Squirrels. I hope you enjoy them!

-Red Squirrels are 8-9 inches tall.

-Their tail is just about the same length reaching 8-9 inches!

-What is the long tail used for?

*Like lots of mammals it is used for balance.

*It helps them steer while they are jumping from tree to tree.

*It helps them keep warm while sleeping.

-Red squirrels shed their coat 2 times a year switching between a thinner coat in the summer, and a darker and thicker coat in the winter.

-The red Squirrels litter size is usually 3-4 Squirrels but can be as large as 6 Squirrels!

-They usually live for 3 or 4 years but have been known to live for 10 years!

-Sometimes in the winter time they share their nests with other squirrels to keep warm.

-Like other rodents they have 4 fingers and 5 toes.

-What do they eat?

*They eat nuts from trees, fungi, bird eggs, berries and insects.

-They burry their extra food under ground and save it for when they need it. But they don’t remember where they put their food so they have to sniff it out!:D

-When intruders invade, the Squirrels growl, screech, chirp, rattle, and buzz to try to scare them off.

-Another reason red Squirrels store their food is because when it is a cold day they just stay home and eat the food they stored.

-Each cache of food might have 200 pine cones! Imagine digging up one of their caches!:O

-Red Squirrels’ sense of smell is so good that they can find their caches even if they are buried under 3 feet of snow!