DID YOU KNOW…?
DID YOU KNOW that many juvenile squirrels die in the first year of life? But, if they do survive through adulthood, they can have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild. And, some can survive 10 to 20 years in captivity. Premature death may be caused when a nest falls from the tree, in which case the mother may abandon her young if their body temperature is not correct. Many such baby squirrels have been rescued and fostered until they could be safely returned to the wild.
DID YOU KNOW that the English word "squirrel", first attested in 1327, comes from the Anglo-Norman “ Anglo-Norman “esquirel”, which is from the Old French escurel, the reflex of a Latin word “sciurus”? In turn, this Latin word was borrowed from the Ancient Greek word σκίουρος, skiouros, which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy appendage possessed by many of its members.
DID YOU KNOW that squirrels have their very own “APPRECIATION DAY”?
And, here are 22 other things you may not know about squirrels!
Enjoy!
Leslie Lakes, Director
Note: Art Drawings by William J. Cumber (FL) and Randy Schill (MN)