Hey there, everyone! It's me—Safari Steve Baloney—and I'm here in the middle of one of the thickest jungles in the world. The concrete jungle, that is! That's right—I'm searching the canyon-like streets of New York City, home to a variety of strange and wonderful creatures, in hopes of finding the ever popular urban squirrel.
Now, the squirrel belongs to the
sciuridae family of animals, which also includes chipmunks, woodchucks, marmots and even prairie dogs. Over 200 species live all over the world except for the continents of Australia and Antarctica. Like other
rodents, squirrels have four front teeth that never stop growing. This is because they are always chewing and gnawing on nuts and sticks, and otherwise their teeth would eventually wear down to nothing.
There are three types of squirrels. The first is the ground squirrel, who lives in burrows or tunnel systems, where some of them
hibernate during the winter season. A typical meal includes such delicacies as nuts, leaves, roots, and seeds. They also catch and eat small critters such as insects and caterpillars.
The second type is the ever daring flying squirrel. Highly
adaptable, these flying aces live in nests and holes of trees much like birds. Though they don't actually fly, these amazing animals have flaps of skin that connect their front and rear legs to create a wing-like shape. As they jump from tree to tree, they spread these wings and catch the air to glide incredible distances that can reach over 150 feet.
The last type is the one we can see most readily here in the city: The tree squirrel. From woodlands to city parks you can see them jumping and scampering effortlessly from branch to branch. Their diet includes nuts, acorns, tree sap, and even eggs and birds. Although they spend most of their time in the trees, they do come down to forage for nuts and berries.
They then store many of these nuts for winter by burying them in the ground. Amazingly, they remember the location of hundreds of these treasure chests every year. The ones that are forgotten can sprout into new plants, making the squirrel one of nature's best tree farmers.
It's truly amazing that even in a place so densely populated with people as this urban center there are animals that have learned to live in harmony with the sometimes brutal world of humans. Grab yourself a pair of binoculars and have your own animal adventure. So long!
For more information on squirrels go to:
How Stuff Works, "Urban Wildlife":
www.science.howstuffworks.com
The Humane Society of U S, "Squirrels":
www.humanesociety.org
National Geographic, "Squirrel":
www.animals.nationalgeographic.com
Squirrel Place:
www.squirrels.org
Squirrel Rehab:
www.squirrel-rehab.org
