Squirrel Pictures

Squirrels are small to medium-sized rodents that live in a wide range of habitats and maybe even your own backyard. There are many fascinating things you’ll want to know about these critters. So we’ve compiled some of the best squirrel pictures to help show you just how interesting they are.

Eastern Gray Squirrel

The eastern gray squirrel is native to the eastern and mid-western United States. In Europe where it has been introduced, it is considered to be an invasive species. It has a big bushy tail and is mostly gray in color.

And it has a white underside while the face is usually brown. The gray squirrel inhabits dense forests but is also commonly found in urban and suburban areas as well. Unlike most other animals the gray squirrel has the ability to climb down a tree head-first.

Squirrel Eating Acorn

Squirrels love to eat acorns. However, they don’t like to share. When they don’t eat the acorns immediately, they will dig a hole in the ground and hide them for later. Squirrels will often dig them up and hide them again somewhere else so that any potential acorn thieves can’t find them. When they think they are being watched they sometimes actually pretend to bury acorns to fool thieves as well.

Squirrel In Trash Can

Squirrels are opportunistic feeders and they are well-known for getting into trash cans for a free meal. This is one of the reasons that they are considered by some to be backyard pests. Garbage bags not placed in a can are easy for squirrels to rip into.

And garbage cans without lids or lids that are not securely fastened are like an open invitation to squirrels. These pesky critters can be determined once they know there’s food inside and may even chew right through lids to get in. When this is the case squirrel-proof garbage cans are a helpful solution.

Handfeeding Squirrel

Squirrels in urban areas and public parks often become habituated to people. However, feeding squirrels human food or items that are not part of their natural diet can cause malnutrition and even death.

Many squirrels lose their natural fear of humans once they associate people with food. And while they may appear friendly feeding them from your hand can be dangerous. Squirrels may bite and since their teeth are designed to crack nuts they can cause serious injury.

Bushy Squirrel Tail

That bushy squirrel tail has quite a few important functions. It is a critical feature that helps a squirrel to balance. When jumping from tree to tree and running across thin branches or wires the squirrel will use its’ tail as a counterbalance by moving it from side to side.

The tail is also used to communicate with other squirrels. It will flick its tail to warn other squirrels of danger such as predators. And when the weather gets bad, the tail can be used for protection. By wrapping the tail over its body the squirrel can protect itself from harsh weather such as rain and snow.

Squirrel Resting

Most tree squirrels leave their nest at around dawn and return at dusk. However, while they are out of the nest for most of the daylight hours they actually don’t spend that much time on the ground. The majority of their time is spent resting on trees, either sitting or lying down.

American Red Squirrel

The American red squirrel is often simply referred to as the red squirrel. Yet it should not be confused with the Eurasian red squirrel which goes by the same name. The American red squirrel is found across much of North America

Although it is typically only found in areas that have coniferous trees since it mainly feeds on the seeds of coniferous cones. This species is small in size and has a brownish-red coat with a pure white underbelly. Despite being small it is known for fearlessly defending its territory from intruders.

Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel

Not all squirrels live in trees, ground squirrels like their name suggests live in the ground. And the golden-mantled ground squirrel is just one example. This species looks similar to a chipmunk. It has brownish-gray fur with two white stripes that are bordered by two black stripes on each side of its body.

The golden-mantled ground squirrel lives in a concealed burrow that usually has an entrance close to a stump, rock, or log. While its burrow may not be very deep it may stretch to a hundred feet in length. It is well-known for its habit of standing on its hind legs when it senses danger.

Jumping Squirrel

Tree squirrels are excellent jumpers. The eastern gray squirrel in particular is known for its amazing jumping ability. It’s estimated that this species can jump vertically up to four feet high. And when jumping horizontally it can cover a distance of up to around nine feet.

Japanese Squirrel

The Japanese squirrel is a tree squirrel that is only found in Japan. It inhabits the forests from the island of Honshu to Kyushu. This species has a bushy tail along with large and distinct ear tufts.

The Japanese squirrel’s coat changes to help it blend in with its surroundings throughout the year. In the warmer months, the Japanese squirrel’s coat is reddish-orange and during the winter it changes to grey or brown. In Japan, this species is known as “Nihon risu”.

Squirrel Birdfeeder

Squirrels are not only nimble but they’re also excellent climbers and jumpers. Unfortunately for anyone with a backyard bird feeder, squirrels often use these natural abilities to steal bird food from them. It’s not uncommon to see videos or pictures of squirrels doing unbelievable feats to get to a feeder.

They can damage feeders however in an attempt to get the bird food out, may chase birds away, and often finish all the food before the birds get any of it. Squirrel baffles, caged bird feeders, and squirrel deterrents are therefore often used to keep these bushy-tailed acrobats away.

Baby Squirrel

Typically a mother gray squirrel will give birth to one to four babies known as “kits” up to twice a year. The baby squirrels are born pink, without hair, and unable to open their eyes. They will stay in the nest until they reach around three months of age and typically reach their full size by nine months old.

Baby eastern gray squirrels like the one shown here actually have a very high death rate for the first few years of their lives. For example in their first year alone, only around twenty-five percent will usually survive. However, the probability of survival does increase with age.

Albino Squirrel

Albino squirrels lack pigment in their skin, hair, and even their eyes. For this reason, they are totally white in color and always have pink eyes. While they may be easy to find in squirrel pictures, true albino squirrels are very rare in nature.

Not only are they born very infrequently but their white color does not help to camouflage them. In fact, it does the opposite, it makes them stand out. And this puts them at a much higher risk of being seen and eaten by predators such as eagles, hawks, owls, and coyotes among others.

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