Hands Down Animals · Printable fact sheet
Squirrel
Sciuridae
Quick facts
| Scientific name | Sciuridae |
|---|---|
| Size | Total body length ranges from 10 cm (pygmy squirrels) to over 1 m (Indian… |
| Weight | Ranges from 15 g (African pygmy squirrel) to 2 kg (giant squirrels) |
| Lifespan | Typically 3-6 years wild, up to 24 years in captivity |
| Diet | Omnivorous; primarily seeds, nuts, and fruits, but also fungi, buds, insects, eggs, and occasionally small… |
| Habitat | Deciduous forests, Coniferous forests, Tropical jungles |
| Where it lives | North America, Central America, South America (northern and Andean regions), Europe |
| IUCN status | Least Concern (overall family Sciuridae), but some species are threatened or endangered |
| Population | Millions (exact number unknown) |
| Top speed | 20 km/h |
| Family | Sciuridae |
About the squirrel
Squirrels belong to a family of nearly 300 species that includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots and flying squirrels, found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Tree squirrels bury nuts one at a time and find them again by smell and memory, and the ones they forget grow into new trees; flying squirrels glide between trunks on a skin membrane stretched between their legs. In Britain and Ireland the introduced North American grey squirrel has pushed the native red squirrel out of most of its range.
Five things to know
- Squirrels belong to the diverse rodent family Sciuridae and are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
- Species include tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels, each with distinctive habitats and adaptations.
- Some flying squirrels can glide over 100 meters by using a specialized skin membrane called a patagium.
- Squirrels play crucial roles in forest ecology by dispersing seeds and influencing plant distribution.
- The Indian Giant Squirrel is among the largest of all squirrels, reaching over 1 meter in total length.
Homeschool unit: Animals homeschool guide — Habitats, adaptations and food chains as a graded unit, with the squirrel as one of its worked examples.