Squirrels!


Squirrels are everywhere on campus. I don’t think I’ve ever not seen a squirrel while walking on campus or anywhere really in this area... They do a lot of interesting things like one time I was walking to school, and I saw a squirrel sitting on a bench eating a bowl of Chipotle. I wonder what the story was there…Well anyways I decided to read a book all about squirrels (Squirrels by Steven Otfinoski) to learn more about them and here are some cool facts I learned:


  • Tree squirrels’ tails are very important as a defense against predators. For example, if a rattlesnake were to attack the squirrel, it can raise the temperature of its tail which can trick the rattlesnake into thinking the squirrel is a larger animal than it actually is. Also, if a predator grabs a squirrel by its tail, the tail can break off which can give the squirrel a way to escape.


  • There are at least 260 species of squirrels that live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. I’m not surprised that there aren’t any squirrels in Antarctica, but Australia? I found it very interesting that there aren’t any in Australia.


  • Albino Squirrels are extremely rare, but in Olney, Illinois there were over 200 of them (when this book was published in 2011 there were about 200, but now there are about 81.) Olney, Illinois is still known for its Albino Squirrels!



  • California Ground Squirrel pups find and chew on the skin a rattlesnake sheds which covers their scent, making them smell more like a rattlesnake and less likely to be attacked by one. 




I hope you found these facts about squirrels interesting too! And if you want to learn more about squirrels check out Squirrels by Steven Otfinoski!


-Jehan

Comments

  1. Jiya BorgaonkarApril 19, 2026 at 12:57 PM

    I love this post!!!! These are interesting facts! Lol a squirrel eating a bowl of chipotle!

    ReplyDelete

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