Squirrel Facts

SQUIRREL
FACTS

Former president Theodore Roosevelt had pet flying squirrels in the White House during his presidency.

A squirrel can fall more than one hundred feet without hurting itself.

The only warm-blooded mammal known to survive body temperatures below freezing is the supercooling, hibernating arctic ground squirrel. When its body temperature drops as low as 26.8 F, it uses one-tenth the energy it would need to maintain its temperature above freezing.

There are over 300 kinds of squirrels.

The word squirrel comes from two Greek words that mean "shadow tail".

The North American Schooner squirrel got its name because it can often be found hibernating in the sails of the small Schooner sail boat. Experts believe this is because the water offers excellent protection form predators like cats and foxes. Just like a moat round a castle.

Red Squirrels are highly Poison's

A scientific study conducted in Maastricht, Belgium proved that squirrels actually enjoy goading dogs, and let themselves get chased for the adrenaline rush.

Squirrels are genetically closer to fish than they are to elephants.

Pistachio nuts have a narcotic effect on almost all squirrels except for the Russian Krockertoff Squirrel. The Krockertoff Squirrel has built up an immunity to the Pistachio when its all they had to eat through the cold Russian winters.
Squirrels don't float

A Squirrel In Bute, Montana was recorded to have jumped a span of 15.4 Meters. His name was Gavin

Squirrels have no word for late.

Formby, a Black Scottish Mountain Squirrel kept in captivity at a laboratory in Edinburgh, has been alive for over 20 years. In a recent interview Formby said that he believes he may be the oldest squirrel ever to have existed but didn't think it was anything to do with the experiments

Squirrels, like many small mammals, see in black and white. But recently squirrels surprised the scientific community when it was discovered that they dream in colour.