Squirrels: The Sciuridae Family

As I have stated in the beginning, chipmunks hold a lower spot in the web of relations/food chain. Nuts, plants, berries, and insects are eaten by chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, and other small rodents. All of these animals, including the chipmunks, are then

Various experiments and measurements were performed in the field in order to compare the two types of rodents. The following is a list of the data collected through multiple observations over a span of two years. We captured 100 rats of each rodent population, and we found the average weight, length, hind limb, and forelimb measurements. In addition, we conducted experiments in regards to their top speed, average height that they could leap, gestation time, and average time spent in the courtship display.

Unlike many other rodents the flying squirrel does not hibernate. Instead they group together during the winter and cold month’s to maintain warmth. Northern flying squirrels usually communicate with a soft low chirp but also cluck just like other squirrels when distressed. These squirrels also use scent and touch to communicate with one another; utilizing their excellent senses of hearing, smell, vision, and touch to correspond with the signals they emanate. “A major food source for the squirrels are mycorrhizal fungi (truffles) of many different species, though they also eat lichens, mushrooms, all mast-crop nuts, tree sap, insects, carrion, bird eggs and nestlings, buds and flowers. The squirrels are special in that they can find truffles by olfaction, which is the use of smell. They also seem to use clues such as the presence of wood debris, indicating a decaying log, and spatial memory of locations where truffles were found in the past. The northern flying squirrel is also known to stash food for when food supplies are lower such as in the winter. These caches can be in cavities in trees, as well as in the squirrels' nest, or even within the ground. Lichens and seeds are the commonly stored items” (9). Yet in this relationship the most important functions of this squirrel are to provide food for the owls, and in addition, to greatly

The nutria, also known as the river rat or the coypu, is an invasive specie because it can destroy the land. Nutria are rodents similar to the capybara because of its body shape and brown fur. It is also similar to beavers

In Deltona, FL there are angry squirrels attacking the elderly at the Sterling Court Retirement Community Center. The squirrels are biting the elderly in the arms, legs and back and they are also scratching. Not only are the squirrels attacking the residents in the community center but also the staff that tries to help with the angry squirrels. The squirrels are being tested and are getting trapped.

The body size grows from 4 inches to 6 inches. Being one of the smallest primates, they comparatively have large hands and feet that

The Woodchuck is not a very large animal by any means, but in its family its among the largest ranging from ranging from 16-26 inches in length (Bio-expedition, 2015). The Woodchuck can weigh anywhere from as little as four pounds to as much as nine pounds (Bio-expedition, 2015). They are a stocky animal and have a very short tail. They have very powerful front appendages that they use to dig elaborate burrows. They also have a two layer coat the help them help protect them from the environment. On the outside the Woodchuck has brown coat the helps repel water and on the inside they have a very dense fur for warmth.

Arctic fox is small animal that can reach 26 inches in length and 6.5 to 17 pounds of weight. Bushy tail is usually 13.7 inches long.

When island mammals come across anything that threatens their food web, it seems the system comes apart at the seams. A major reason is the fact that they are so cut off from other environments. If the foxes lose one food source, say rabbits, it isn’t like they can travel somewhere else in search of rabbits. Another example is if a predator on the foxes, like hawks or eagles, swoop in the foxes could go extinct. As a matter of fact, this almost perfectly describes the foxes’

They were discovered in the kindly forest in western Madagascar an island east coast of Africa. Even though they can be found in almost all parts of the forest most of them only stay in a “small space of 220 square kilometers and never near the north part of the Tsiribihina River”(Lane). But they also inhabit the Reserve Speciale d'Andranomena since they are endangered having most of them rescued and placed there. Madame Berthe Mouse Lemur’s choice of food changes depending on what the seasons are and what's offered during those seasons. Since Microcebus berthae are omnivores they will go hunt for insects, find different fruits and flowers like fruits of mistletoe, eat insect secretions, gum arthropods and small vertebrates like geckos and chameleons. The choice of their food doesn’t really change from season to season even though their choices of food is so little. Microcebus berthae is known to be the smallest animals on earth with “height ranging between 8.6 to 12.9 cm for both male and female”(Gron KJ). And With their “weight ranging from 30.6 to 71.1

Red squirrels are an important part of the ecosystem in which the oak lives. They are important because they eat off the oak trees. That is important because the soil is fertilized from the squirrel poop, which helps the trees. The trees are also not harmed because the acorns that they eat are the fruit of the tree. The trees also gave them a place to live. They raise their babies in the tree, and hide from

Ground squirrels can be found in usually dry open areas most particularly in grazed rangelands, pastures, or grain fields (Salmon, 2016). They usually avoid areas such as the dense woods or thick chaparral. These animals are herbivorous and their diet is consisted of plants, seeds, grains, and nuts depending on the season (Salmon, 2016). These include green grasses, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, as well as fruit trees like apples, peaches, and oranges. They can adapt to their environment by using a burrow system where the dig 2-4 feet beneath the ground and there they sleep, rest, store food, and above all protect themselves from potential predators (Salmon,

There are dwarf , Russian , and , spotted hamsters. The dwarf hamster is the smallest hamster. The dwarf hamster is only 4 inches long they can be kept in groups or pairs. But dwarf hamsters can often become wild and week , but they are friendly and do not bite often. Russian hamsters are similar to the dwarf hamster in many ways like the can be kept in the same cages together and they won't fight with each other. They are friendly like dwarf hamsters and can become wild and week just like dwarf hamster. Spotted hamsters have spots on them and they are just like other hamsters they just have spots on them.

Rats are various medium sized rodents. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, R. norvegicus. Many members of other rodent genera and families are also called rats and share many characteristics with true rats. A rat has an average life span of 2-3 years[1].

Rodents can be found everywhere on earth. Among the several different types of rodents, the ones that mostly prefer to live near humans, being the most numerous, are the mice and rats. They live in colonies which comprise of complex hierarchies, wherein they form deep bonds, often putting their own lives at risk to save family and friends. Their best habitats are cavities, holes inside walls, in sewer pipes, in stores where foodstuffs are kept, in the fields and in garbage dumps. As a matter of fact, they love to live anywhere food is available and is convenient for them to put up a nest. In addition, they can easily adjust to any kind of climate and even wipe out original mammals occupying the same niche.