Untamed Tuesday, Squirrels
Today I’d like to highlight squirrels, both red squirrels and grey squirrels. We have a lot of squirrels around here, and they love to torment my dogs, using the top of the privacy fence and the trees as their own private highway system! We have both red and grey squirrels in my neighborhood.
The red squirrel is smaller than its cousin the grey squirrel. It’s coat has a orangey-reddish-brown hue, while it’s chest is white in color. The tail of the red squirrel is not as full as the grey squirrel’s tail. They use their tail to help with balance and steering. The red squirrel inhabits the northeast, the west, mountain terrain as well as Canada and Alaska. Their average lifespan is 3-5 years, though there are documented cases of older squirrels in captivity.
*red squirrel picture from news.bbc.co.uk
*grey squirrel from ClassroomClipArt.com
The grey squirrel has a similar life span of the red squirrel and tend to live 3-5 years in the wild. Grey squirrels can be found in North America. They have been introduced to other countries as well. Morning and late afternoons are when you’ll find both squirrels the most active. Grey squirrels use their tails for communication, and a simple twitch cans speak volumes.
My father spent many years trying to out wit squirrels as they found ways to continually eat the bird food my father left out. Greased poles, shields and covers were tried, and no matter what the inconvenience was to the squirrel, they always found a way around it. They are clever creatures!
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Making it better for animals:
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc is based out of Texas and helps displaced, injured or orphaned animals by rehabilitating them and releasing them in the wild. They also offer sanctuary to those animals that can not be released.
They offer a 24 hour emergency hotline and are open every day of the year. They are also accredited by The Association of Sanctuaries.
If you'd like more information on this Wildlife Rescue and Rehab group, follow the above link. If you'd like to volunteer or make a donation go here.
*I am in no way associated with this group and wanted to highlight them as a part of a weekly series.