Squirrel

Date: 23rd December 2006

Hear its unusual call




The average squirrel lives up to nine years and weighs 400-600g when fully grown. They enjoy living in deciduous and mixed woodland, also in hedgerows, trees, parks and gardens where they eatacorns, tree shoots, flowers, nuts, fruits, roots and cereals. They bury surplus food 2-5cm below the soil or in tree hollows. They live in a compact, spherical nest (drey), 30-60cm in diameter, with an outer frame of twigs, and dry leaves and grass inside. They are diurnal, active from before sunrise to after sunset. The peak of activity is in the autumn.

Females produce a litter of usually three young in the spring or late summer (or occasionally both), after a gestation period of 42-45 days. The young are weaned after 10 weeks and are independent at 16 weeks.



Last Updated: 1st-Jan-2007 16:06 Print
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