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Squirrels

Sciuridae

Squirrels are rodents in the family Sciuridae—a group that includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs), and flying squirrels. The family contains about 50 genera and roughly 270 species, and the name “squirrel” comes from a Greek term often translated as “shade tail.” Squirrels occupy habitats from tundra to rainforest and are native across most terrestrial regions. Most squirrels are largely herbivorous, eating nuts, seeds, fruits, fungi, and other plant matter, though many also eat insects, eggs, and occasionally small vertebrates. Many species cache food for later; some stockpile in one place, while others scatter-bury nuts in multiple locations, and forgotten seeds can germinate and benefit forests.

Squirrels are rodents in the family Sciuridae—a group that includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs), and flying squirrels. The family contains about 50 genera and roughly 270 species, and the name “squirrel” comes from a Greek term often translated as “shade tail.” Squirrels occupy habitats from tundra to rainforest and are native across most terrestrial regions. Most squirrels are largely herbivorous, eating nuts, seeds, fruits, fungi, and other plant matter, though many also eat insects, eggs, and occasionally small vertebrates. Many species cache food for later; some stockpile in one place, while others scatter-bury nuts in multiple locations, and forgotten seeds can germinate and benefit forests.