Squirrels can damage cereal crops, maple-tapping equipment and telephone wires burrows and hillocks can harm livestock and agricultural machinery. Primarily herbivorous, squirrels sometimes eat insects, eggs and even small birds and mammals. Preferred habitats are varied, including forests, prairies, mountains and arctic regions. Tree squirrels generally build nests ground-dwelling species dig burrows.Ĭertain species of squirrels are found throughout Canada others only inhabit specific areas. While most ground squirrels hibernate, tree squirrels are active year round. At birth young are hairless and poorly developed growth is rapid.Īll Canadian species, except flying squirrels, are diurnal. Mating occurs in spring gestation lasts 24-44 days and litters average 3-8 young, depending on species. In Canada most species reproduce once annually. There is great variation in size: the largest Canadian squirrel, the hoary marmot, is 80 cm long and weighs 6 kg the smallest, the least chipmunk, 22 cm and 50 g. The flying squirrel has a skin fold along its flanks and attached to its feet that enables it to glide. Ground squirrels and chipmunks carry food in internal cheek pouches. Tree squirrels have bushy tails and small feet ground species have less bushy tails and more robust forefeet. Squirrels have 4 toes on forefeet 5 on hind feet. lateralis), 5 are chipmunks, 4 are marmots and 1 a prairie dog. sabrinus), the latter 2 flying squirrels and 16 are ground-dwelling species, of which 6 are ground squirrels ( Spermophilus richardsonii, S. When they are active during the winter, they spend most of. Twenty-two species occur in Canada: 6 are tree species ( Sciurus carolinensis, S. Squirrels do not hibernate but, do become less active to reduce energy demands in the winter. Squirrel, common name for family (Sciuridae) of rodents, comprising 262 species, found in North and South America, Eurasia and Africa.
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