Squirrels: The Animal Answer GuideDid you know that a groundhog is really a type of squirrel? That squirrels control their body temperature with their tails? That most squirrels have yellow-tinted eye lenses that work like sunglasses to reduce glare? That tree squirrels can turn their hind feet completely around when climbing down a tree head-first? In Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide, Richard W. Thorington Jr. and Katie Ferrell unveil the fascinating world of one of the "most watched" mammals on the planet. The diversity of squirrels is astounding. There are 278 species that inhabit all continents except Antarctica and Australia—varying in size from the lumbering 18-pound gray marmot to the graceful pygmy flying squirrel that is smaller than most mice. In many parts of the world they readily share human habitats, joining us for lunch in a city park, raiding our bird feeders, and sneaking into college dorm rooms through open windows. Reviled as pests or loved as an endearing amusement, squirrels have played important roles in trade, literature, and mythology. Thorington and Ferrell cover every aspect of this diverse animal family, from the first squirrels of 36 million years ago to the present day. With over one hundred photographs and an intuitive question-and-answer format, this authoritative and engaging guide sheds light on a common mammal that is anything but commonplace. |
Contents
Introducing Squirrels | 1 |
How many kinds of squirrels are there? | 7 |
Where do squirrels live? | 8 |
Why are there no flying or ground squirrels in South America? | 10 |
What is the current classification of squirrels? | 13 |
What characterizes the major groups of squirrels? | 15 |
When did squirrels evolve? | 23 |
Form and Function | 25 |
How do squirrels influence vegetation? | 86 |
Reproduction and Development | 90 |
How long are female squirrels pregnant? | 93 |
How many babies do squirrels have? | 94 |
Are all littermates equally related? | 95 |
How long do female squirrels nurse their young? | 96 |
How long do squirrels live? | 98 |
Foods and Feeding What do squirrels eat? | 100 |
Can squirrels see color? | 26 |
Do all squirrels have cheek pouches? | 27 |
Can squirrels swim? | 28 |
How far can squirrels jump? | 29 |
What are the largest and smallest flying squirrels? | 31 |
How do you make a flying squirrel? | 32 |
How far can flying squirrels glide? | 35 |
How can you determine whether a fossil squirrel was a tree squirrel a flying squirrel or a ground squirrel? | 37 |
Coat Color and Squirrel Genetics | 38 |
What species is the red squirrel? | 40 |
What causes the different coat colors of squirrels? | 41 |
What about patterns of coat color? | 43 |
Is there much geographic variation in squirrel species? | 45 |
Are there agerelated differences in coat color? | 45 |
Squirrel Behavior | 46 |
Do squirrels fight? | 50 |
Do squirrels play? | 53 |
Do squirrels talk? | 54 |
How do squirrels avoid predators? | 56 |
Squirrel Ecology | 67 |
Do squirrels migrate? | 69 |
How many squirrel species coexist in a forest? | 70 |
Why are there so many more species of squirrels in African and Asian forests? | 72 |
How do squirrels survive in the desert? | 74 |
How do squirrels survive the winter? | 77 |
What is hibernation? | 80 |
Do squirrels have enemies? | 81 |
Why do squirrels commit infanticide? | 82 |
Do squirrels get sick? | 84 |
How do squirrels open hard nuts? | 104 |
Do all squirrels bury their food? | 105 |
How does the squirrel decide what food to store? | 108 |
How do squirrels find the food they have buried? | 110 |
Squirrels and Humans | 112 |
Do squirrels feel pain? | 113 |
How can I become a better observer of squirrels? | 114 |
How do I know whether I have flying squirrels in my backyard? | 116 |
Why are squirrels important? | 117 |
Squirrel Problems from a human viewpoint | 122 |
How do I keep squirrels away from my ? | 124 |
Are squirrels vectors of human disease? | 128 |
Human Problems from a squirrels viewpoint | 129 |
Will squirrels be affected by global warming? | 132 |
Are squirrels ever invasive species? | 135 |
Do people hunt and eat squirrels? | 136 |
Are squirrelhair brushes actually made of squirrel hair? | 137 |
Why do so many squirrels get hit by cars? | 138 |
Squirrels in Stories and Literature | 139 |
What do squirrels have to do with the Cinderella story? | 141 |
What roles do squirrels play in popular culture? | 142 |
How are squirrels incorporated into literature? | 146 |
Squirrelology | 150 |
Which species are least known? | 152 |
How do scientists recognize individual squirrels? | 154 |
Squirrels of the World | 155 |
Bibliography | 163 |
Index | 177 |
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Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide Richard W. Thorington,Richard W. Thorington Jr.,Katie E. Ferrell Limited preview - 2006 |