### animal | vertebrate | mammal | rodent:

Squirrel
* All squirrels have sharp eyesight and wide vision
  - strong hind legs
* Are relatively abundant in the conifer forests and are popular with small game hunters.
* Every squirrel carries an umbrella.
* Many squirrels find themselves caught in enclosed swimming pools
  - help distribute the seeds throughout the forest
  - live in burrows under the ground instead of in the trees
* Most squirrels adapt to hot weather.
* Most squirrels are active during the daytime
  - capable of constructing a nest in one day
  - member of families
  - sedentary, however, spending their entire lives within a single acre of land
  - vegetarians
* Most squirrels avoid people
  - predators
* Most squirrels bury acorns
  - nuts
* Most squirrels carry acorns
  - catch attention
* Most squirrels cause damage
  - extensive damage
  - property damage
* Most squirrels chew acorns
  - holes
  - materials
  - pecans
  - collect acorns
  - come out of hibernation
  - cross roads
  - defend territory
* Most squirrels depend on plants
* Most squirrels destroy crops
  - nests
  - vegetation
* Most squirrels eat acorns
  - berries
  - bird food
  - buds
  - fruit
  - grass
  - insects
  - mature fruit
* Most squirrels eat nuts, seeds, and fruit
  - grain, and fruit
  - plant food
  - tree buds
  - vegetables
  - emerge from trees
  - enter burrows
* Most squirrels feed in gardens
* Most squirrels feed on acorns
  - tree nuts
  - find food
  - gather food
* Most squirrels get fur
  - oxygen
  - water
  - give birth to squirrels
  - graze in meadows
  - grow hair
* Most squirrels has-part backs
  - brains
  - claws
  - stomachs
  - tails
  - teeth
* Most squirrels have acorns
  - antibodies
  - belly fur
  - brown fur
  - chatter
  - contact
  - feet
  - few natural predators
  - front teeth
  - glide membranes
  - gray fur
  - lifespans
  - limbs
  - milk teeth
  - periods
  - pitch chatter
  - ranges
  - sharp claws
  - short lifespans
  - skin
  - stretchy skin
  - whiskers
  - hear sound
* Most squirrels hibernate during winter
* Most squirrels hide acorns
* Most squirrels hide in places
  - various places
  - jump over fences
  - keep nests
  - live for years
* Most squirrels live in areas
  - continents
  - deciduous woodlands
  - large areas
  - parks
  - regions
  - trees and jump from branch to branch
  - treetops
  - wood areas
* Most squirrels live on ground
* Most squirrels love corn
  - make homes
  - mate in early spring, after much fighting and chasing
* Most squirrels move from trees
* Most squirrels occupy burrows
  - niches
* Most squirrels occur in areas
  - counties
  - hardwood habitats
* Most squirrels pick up acorns
  - organisms
* Most squirrels play in backyards
  - branches
  - brushes
  - landscapes
* Most squirrels possess cells
  - coats
  - grasp hands
  - shelter
* Most squirrels prefer areas
  - desert habitats
  - rocky habitats
  - produce noise
* Most squirrels reach full height
  - receive food
* Most squirrels require acorns
  - resemble rats
* Most squirrels reside in captive environments
* Most squirrels save food
* Most squirrels seek acorns
  - meals
  - shake tails
  - share landscapes
* Most squirrels sit in trees
  - on branches
  - spend their time running from unleashed dogs and begging for peanuts
  - spread seeds
* Most squirrels steal food
  - survive winter
  - swim across lakes
* Most squirrels thrive in different habitats
  - many different habitats
* Most squirrels use broad tails
  - visit feeders
  - walk on legs
  - weigh ounces
* Some squirrels adapt to life.
* Some squirrels also display patches of white
  - hibernate in burrows during the winter to keep warm
  - appear in books
* Some squirrels are crepuscular
  - inside hickories
  - located on continents
  - attack humans
* Some squirrels become food
  - survival
  - bite heads
* Some squirrels bring black death
  - build their nest high up in trees
* Some squirrels can have babies
  - cysts
  - numerous cysts
* Some squirrels carry diseases
* Some squirrels chew branches
  - plastic
  - through wire
  - collect crops
  - come into contact
  - compete with livestock
* Some squirrels consume arthropods
* Some squirrels cross fences
  - rivers
  - tracks
* Some squirrels depend on coniferous trees
* Some squirrels destroy grain
  - die younger and some older
  - dig holes
  - don t like trees so they live on the ground
* Some squirrels eat bones
  - cookies
  - flowers
  - maples
* Some squirrels emerge from brushes
  - emit peeps
* Some squirrels enter attics
  - houses
  - states
* Some squirrels feed in feeders
  - towns
* Some squirrels feed on buds
  - larvae
  - follow tracks
  - go to holes
* Some squirrels have a taste for truffles, the fruiting bodies of certain fungi
  - activities
  - blood
  - cheek pouches
  - high tolerance
  - parasites
  - phases
  - sharpness
  - sides
  - similar patterns
  - help forests
* Some squirrels hide in forests
  - hold tails
* Some squirrels inhabit corners
  - minnesota states
  - invade homes
  - keep seeds
* Some squirrels live in Africa
  - California
  - adjacent communities
  - conifers
  - grassland
  - mountains
  - native communities
  - oak
  - vegetative communities
  - up to years
  - lose weight
  - love nests
* Some squirrels make armies
  - good food
  - migrate to regions
  - occupy ranges
* Some squirrels occur in cities
  - locations
  - play important roles
* Some squirrels play in trees
* Some squirrels possess babies
  - flaps
* Some squirrels prefer berries
  - mature woodlands
  - provide food
* Some squirrels recover from fungal infection
* Some squirrels rely on diaphragms
  - remain in burrows
* Some squirrels require attention
  - immediate attention
* Some squirrels seek shelter
* Some squirrels sit in burrows
* Some squirrels sit on fences
  - rails
  - stand in Arkansas
  - stay in dens
* Some squirrels survive food shortages
  - storms
  - take up residences
  - threaten survival
  - throw acorns
  - transmit diseases
* Some squirrels use bird feeders
  - cavities
* Some squirrels use hollow cavities
  - tree cavities
* Some squirrels visit backyards
  - walk on vegetation
  - weigh grams
* View the most common mammal at our feeders.
* adore nuts.
* also build their nest in the exterior walls of house.
* also can become a nuisance around bird feeders, frightening birds and scattering seeds
  - chew extensively on landscape plants
  - dislike garlic and black pepper smells
  - eat grass, roots, leaves, plants stalks, and other plant materials
  - enjoy eating birdseed without hesitation even in the presence of birds
  - feed on buds in the spring
  - go to the bathroom just like any other animal
  - have a little flap on their patagium, a sort of winglet
  - like to feed on garbage if they are living near humans
  - love suet
  - nest in the canopy
  - prepare for winter by bulking up
  - prey on purple martins by climbing up the nest and entering the cavity
* also use their tail to communicate with other squirrels
  - tails as signal flags
* are a family of rodents that includes marmots and chipmunks
  - food source for hawks, owls, snakes, and several mammalian predators
  - game species in North Dakota, meaning there is an open season for harvest
  - large family of rodents
  - nuisance to avocado in Florida
  - protected species
  - serious fire hazard when they break into buildings
  - very easy animal to attract they love to eat at bird feeders
* are about the most harmless, innocent creatures in existence
  - only animals which eat the oranges
* are abundant in the wilds because their natural predators are less abundant
  - on wooded hillsides in years when acorns are plentiful
  - acrobatic and persistent
  - active year round
  - afraid of owls
  - already as interested in chasing one another as they are in raiding the bird feeders
* are also unique in being able to walk down trees as well
  - useful to humans as dinner, fur coats, and the butt of roadkill jokes
* are always a problem with nut trees
  - on the other side of the tree
* are common rodents that have hairy tails and strong hind legs
  - throughout North America
  - conspicuous and are better known by sight to people than are most rodents
  - creatures that arouse ambivalent feelings
  - critters of habit and hate change
  - especially fond of corn
  - excellent climbers
  - excitable and can cause severe damage if trapped inside a home
  - expert tightrope walkers
* are fast and agile, scaling trees and jumping from treetop to treetop with great speed
  - can jump sideways about six feet
  - fluffy, cute, personable, compassionate and occasionally pious
  - found all over California
  - furry, bright, lively little animals that are very busy
  - game animals and are protected by state laws
  - generally inquisitive and persistent animals
  - gluttons, and they are curious
  - great acrobats
  - highly excitable and can cause severe damage if trapped inside a building
  - hungry, very hungry
  - less likely to be seen during cold weather
* are like little bolts of light
  - rats, and look more and more like rats all the time
* are located in forests
  - roofs
  - streets
  - near trees
  - mammals
* are most active at dawn and in the late afternoon
  - in the morning, foraging for food
  - naturally vegetarians in the wild
* are notorious because of their habit of buying nuts in the ground
  - for stealing lots of seeds from feeders
  - nut hoarders
  - thieves, they steal food and property from other animals and people
* are often a pest in Albany
  - Denver
  - common problems with bird feeders
  - serious pests, especially if trees are located near a wooded area
  - the cause of power outages
* are omnivores, which means that they eat both plants and animals
  - they like to eat plants and meat
  - one of the state's most under-utilized game resources
  - opportunists
  - popular for their cache, burying food for the winter
  - prevalent and can be readily observed at most Texas parks
* are primarily herbivores
  - vegetarian and are noted for their fondness of seeds and nuts
  - quick and nimble
  - resilient and persistent
  - rodents like mice, rats, and hamsters
  - safest when they are able to move from tree to tree without traveling at ground level
  - scavengers, and like to hunt for mushrooms
  - seen as hunters and gatherers
  - sexually mature and able to breed when approximately one year old
  - skittish and at the same time trusting
  - small, agile diurnal mammals
* are solitary animals but can be very social where there is suitable habitat
  - some of the most conspicuous wild animals in urban and suburban settings
  - somewhat gregarious, tolerating each other in small groups when food is plentiful
  - squirrelly, and omnivorous behavior is just one manifestation
  - still active all hours of the day because of excellent foraging conditions
* are the best animals since cats
  - cleanest animal in the rodent family
  - main mammal pests of pecans
  - most active in late winter, when the mating season begins
  - typically on the move throughout the day
  - uncanny acorn connoisseurs
  - usually active early in the morning and late in the afternoon
  - vermins
* are very adept at stealing food from feeders designed for flying creatures
  - swimmers, crossing lakes and rivers with ease
  - aware of territory
  - clean, daily spending time with personal grooming
  - dangerous if left alone in an attic
  - destructive
  - efficient about breaking into feeders
  - important tree planters
  - popular with children and hunters alike
  - territorial
  - unique in that they have virtually no waste
* are, of course, rodents.
* assault people's gardens all over the world causing millions of dollars in crop damage.
* basically are vegetarians.
* begin being busy in early morning.
* behave like rats too.
* belong in another family.
* belong to a group of animals called rodents
  - the most successful and widespread order in the world, rodents
* bite and have very sharp claws.
* breed twice a year.
* build big, leaf-filled nests in trees, and also use tree holes for nest shelters.
* build nests in trees
  - with leaves
  - their nests of leaves and sticks
* bury acorns and nuts for winter food
  - acorns, in effect planting oak trees
  - nuts and acorns, sometimes in lawns
* bury nuts for future food
  - oak tree seeds called acorns in the ground
  - seeds, thereby planting trees for humans
* cache hundreds to thousands of nuts and seeds throughout the forest each year.
* can also become trapped in chimneys
  - carry some extremely dangerous diseases that can be transmitted to humans, ie
* can be a problem with feeders
  - either right or left handed
  - live trapped
  - pests at bird feeders
* can be very deceptive and they have many tricks up their sleeves
  - noisy
  - wary, and they usually have the benefit of an elevated position
* can become a nuisance, especially in urban areas
  - pests in the absence of predators
  - bite through any glove
* can carry bubonic plaque and each year people in Arizona are affected
  - rabies and other diseases
* can cause a wide variety of problems
  - physical damage to a building and they carry fleas
  - easily chew through plastic and rope
  - eat meat, chimpanzees can eat meat, humans can eat meat
  - find buried food even underneath a layer of snow
  - migrate great distances when overpopulation occurs
  - thrive in both forests and cities
* carry a variety of internal and external parasites
  - food around in their cheeks
  - millions dollars of damage to power transformers and lines every year
* chase squirrels.
* chatter among each other, namely to sound the squirrel alarm if danger is nearby
  - the spruce
  - high among pine boughs
  - on tree branches to sharpen and clean their teeth
* claim an area, usually one to seven acres in size.
* climb our trees, dig up our seeds and plunder our bird feeders.
* come down their den trees and hop about, digging up acorns
* commonly cache food, especially nuts, for future use.
* communicate through a series of chirps
  - with a series of sharp barks usually accompanied with flicks of their tails
* competing for food take longer to train to stay away.
* construct dens in the branches of oak trees usually by enlarging woodpecker holes.
* consume nuts.
* continue to do well mostly because they're under-harvested.
* depend on oak trees for food and as places to build nests
* desire nuts.
* do eat birds' eggs as part of their natural diet
  - indeed have a homing instinct
  - like banana tree leaves
  - millions of dollars worth of home damage
* don t like lavender and sage.
* eat a variety of foods including acorns , various nuts , and pinecones
  - fresh greens as well as seeds and dried nuts
  - wide variety of nuts, seeds and fruits
  - an amazing variety of foods
  - mostly plants, like seeds, nuts, leaves, maple sap, bulbs, bark, flowers, and roots
* eat nuts, berries and insects
  - berries, and other parts of plants
  - seeds from the fruit in winter
* eat the seeds and bees make honey from the nectar of locust flowers
  - tomatoes to get water
* eating the pine cones often free the seeds from inside.
* emerge from hibernation
* enjoy eating different varieties of fruits.
* especially love sunflower seeds and peanuts.
  - nuts and seeds, fruits and other plant material, supplemented with a few insects
  - the seeds and deer browse the foliage
* feel secure when they can hide in the blanket.
* fight even among themselves.
* find books to be particularly attractive nesting material
* forage for seeds.
* form colonies.
* frequently bury extra food and dig it up later when needed.
* gain access to roofs by climbing nearby trees, powerlines or trellises.
* gather nuts and acorns to store for food for long winters
  - to last through the winter
  - the fallen fruits and nibble away the husk, revealing the nut within
* gather, eat and store acorns and other nuts for winter.
* generally consume nuts and berries for their diet
  - eat nuts and seeds, but fungi, insects and young birds are sometimes taken
  - give birth during the late spring months
  - have a bushy tail, large erect ears, and strong hind legs
  - live by themselves
  - their young about once or twice each year
  - slowly
* hate winter.
* have a social hierarchy determined by physical stature
  - active days
  - adaptations for survival in the wild
  - an omnivorous diet and normally feed on a range of foods
  - been know to eat the drippings and sometimes build a nest if they can get inside
  - choices
  - color vision but are blue and yellow colorblind
  - dichromatic color vision
  - faces
* have four sharp claws on their front feet and five on the rear
  - teeth in the front of their mouth that constantly grow throughout their lives
  - hind limbs
  - large eyes, a coat of short fur, and bushy tails
* have many agility points
  - calls and signals to communicate among each other
  - predators or enemies
  - no respect for privacy or property rights
* have short forelimbs, with a small thumb, and longer hind limbs
* have the ability to chew through tough shells, wood feeders and even metal
  - learn far faster than a human
  - habit of stripping the bark off trees
  - three different body types
  - upper and lower incisor teeth followed by a gap called a diastema
* have very acute senses
  - interesting tails
* hibernate during the coldest part of the winter
  - and sleep in a secret warm place all winter
  - food away for the winter, especially acorns, walnuts, and hickory nut
* hunt acorns.
* includes breasts
  - cell membranes
  - chest cavities
  - chests
  - corpi
  - cytoplasm
  - nuclei
  - pedal extremities
  - piluses
  - plasma membranes
  - rib cages
  - sections
  - skulls
  - sterna
  - vacuoles
  - vertebrate feet
* inhabit every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
* instinctively collect and store nuts and other seeds for winter.
* invade towns.
* just crack the nuts open with their powerful jaws
  - do the best they can, and some years have better nut seasons than others
  - the same den all their lives
* kill and castrate other squirrels.
* leave interesting tracks.
* like to eat seeds, fruits, buds, bark, roots, nuts, and mushrooms.
* live all over Minnesota
  - in North America, South America, Asia, and Africa
* live in a drey that they build high up in a tree
  - hollowed out openings in trees created by rot or damage
* live in trees and dumpsters
  - eat seeds, buds, fungi, cones and fruits
  - inside tree trunks, and rabbits live at the base of the tree
* live on all continents except Australia
  - of the world, except Australia and Antarctica
* look like they run fast and for there size and weight they do.
* lose excess heat to shaded surfaces and camels to cooler night air.
* love acorns
* mark their territory by urinating on the surrounding trees.
* mate in late winter or early spring.
  - within their range according to availability of food
* need contain proteins
* occasionally attack garden fruits and vegetables too
  - damage lawns by burying or searching for and digging up nuts
  - eat berries, insects, fungi and carrion
* often bury their nuts
  - dig up and eat the fruiting bodies of a subterranean mushroom
  - focus on hickory nuts before they begin working on the acorns produced by oak trees
  - run along the waters edge and on a branch that stretches over parts of the pond
  - sun themselves on a tree branch, on a rock, or by a burrow
* often use dens in winter and dreys in summer
  - months and dreys in summer months
* ordinarily produce one or two litters of young each year.
* otherwise appear to be safe and pose almost zero risk of transmitting rabies.
* place their feet next to each other rather than one in front of the other.
  - hickory nuts, beechnuts, and white and red oak acorns
  - the holes made when a small limb is broken off and decays back into the trunk
  - to eat berry fruit
  - smooth, oval pellets that are slightly larger
* prosper when there decent mast crop and mild winter.
* ravage the crop in the forests of Ecuador.
* readily accept nest boxes.
* reproduce asexually.
* roam wood.
* run up people's pants legs and scratch their skin.
* rush into trees to hide.
  - nuts for the winter
* see only in shades of black and white, but their eyes are sharp and detect movement well.
* seem particularly adept at locating, digging up and eating newly planted corms.
* share habitats
* show responses.
* signal danger to other squirrels by chattering.
* simply have one mission in life, and that's to break into feeders.
* sleep in leaves in the winter.
* sometimes dig and eat flower bulbs and newly planted seeds
  - seek out an attic as a safe location to have their young
  - use deceptive behavior to prevent other animals from retrieving cached food
* spend less time with scents similar to their own, more with odors less like their own.
* stay in their burrows at night and during the warmest part of summer days.
* store food and recover it as needed
  - to prepare for winter
* tend to avoid metal boxes while both squirrels and starlings prefer to nest in wood boxes
  - collect food and hide it for times when food is scarce, as in winter
  - move within their range according to the season and availability of food
* think of owls, foxes, oak trees, etc.
* thrive here and green woodpeckers nest in holes in the mature trees.
  - nearly mature or mature forests
* to adapt to habitats.
* try to, too, even though they have their own ears of corn set aside.
* use body gestures and tail waving to communicate
  - both tree cavities and leaf nests
  - large leaf nests in trees
  - leaves to make their home
  - their tails to keep their balance when they are leaping and climbing
* usually live in colonies of up to twenty
* want food
  - something
* wrap their tail around themselves when they sleep.
+ Order (biology), Examples of orders: Taxonomy
  * Rodents are an order. Rats and mice are in one family. Squirrels belong in another family.
  * The most common European squirrels are red or brown in color, while common American squirrels are grey or black. Red squirrels are protected in most of Europe. Squirrels have many predators or enemies. Foxes and raccoons eat squirrels. Hawks and owls also eat squirrels.