Binomial name: Sciurus anomalus syriacus
Basic characteristics
• Body:They have flattened, bushy tails.
• Color: Their fur is reddish brown on the back and buff-white on the belly.
• Size: head and body measure approximately 20 cm.
• Weight: Weight averages from 0.45 to 0.68 kg
• Dropping: Squirrel droppings are typically dark in color, and about the size of a grain of rice, 3/8 inch long and roughly 1/8 inch in diameter. They can be found in clusters, and often have pointed ends. They may have a slight glossy appearance due to the high amount of undigested nuts and seeds. closely resemble rat feces.
Behavior
Squirrels mate either once or twice a year and, following a gestation period of three to six weeks, give birth to a number of offspring that varies by species. The young are altricial, being born naked, toothless, and blind. In most species of squirrel, the female alone looks after the young, which are weaned at six to ten weeks and become sexually mature by the end of their first year. In general, the ground-dwelling squirrel species are social, often living in well-developed colonies, while the tree-dwelling species are more solitary.
Feeding habits: Because squirrels cannot digest cellulose, they must rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates and fats. In temperate regions, early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels because the nuts they buried are beginning to sprout (and thus are no longer available to eat), while many of the usual food sources are not yet available. During these times, squirrels rely heavily on tree buds. Squirrels, being primarily herbivores, eat a wide variety of plants, as well as nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi and green vegetation. Some squirrels, however, also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger.Squirrels have been known to eat small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents, as well as bird eggs and insects.
Natural predator(s)
• Wild cats • Raptors • Owls