Squirrel
A squirrel is a small omnivorous rodent. A well-known example of a squirrel in furry fandom is Eric W. Schwartz's character Amy the Squirrel. Some examples from popular culture are Hammy from the movie Over the Hedge, Sandy Cheeks from SpongeBob SquarePants, and Rocky from Rocky and Bullwinkle.
For many people, the type of squirrel that first comes to mind is a tree squirrel. Affectionately called a "tree rats" by some in the furry fandom for their arboreal lifestyle, its most distinctive feature is its long, bushy tail. Two of the better known types of squirrels are the grey squirrels and the red squirrels. The grey squirrel is native to America but has been introduced to other parts of the world, and has spread rapidly. However, many of the numerous species of squirrel differ from the bushy-tailed, tree-dwelling description.
Contents
Types of squirrels[edit]
Squirrels are not a "species" by the proper taxonomic definition of the term, but in fact cover more than 280 species from two families (Sciuridae and Anomaluridae) in the rodent family (Rodentia). Tree squirrels more or less comprise the genus Sciurus, which has 28 species among which are gray squirrels, fox squirrels, red squirrels, and Abert's squirrels. Other members of the squirrel family include flying squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and marmots.[1]
Fictional squirrel characters[edit]
- Conker the Squirrel (Conker's Bad Fur Day)
- Ray the Flying Squirrel (Sonic the Hedgehog)
- Secret Squirrel (Secret Squirrel)
- Scaredy Squirrel (Scaredy Squirrel)
- Twiss (Armello)
- Sidney Squirrel (Silent sillies)
See also[edit]
- Squirrel characters
- Squirrel at Wikipedia
External links[edit]
- Stories with "Squirrel" species keyword at Mia's Index of Anthro' Stories
- Giant squirrels in India's Western Ghats
References[edit]
- ↑ Based on information from the Animal Diversity Web