Mother Checks for Danger

by Charlene Adler

Title

Mother Checks for Danger

Artist

Charlene Adler

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Mother squirrel checking out the for danger before letting her baby come out of the nest. Photograph taken in SW Wisconsin.

Gray squirrels are members of the rodent family weighing in between 16-28 ounces. They're 18 to 21 inches long; but about one half of that is their bushy tail. The tail helps as balance when climbing and jumping. It also acts as a shield from wind and rain when the squirrel is curled up. Gray squirrels, are usually-- you guessed it--gray in color. They often have white hair behind their ears and on the chin, throat and belly. The whiskers on the gray squirrel are found above and below the eyes, in front of the throat and on the nose. These whiskers, known as vibrissae, give the squirrel information about the world around it. They have very good eyesight even in dim light, and a wide field of vision. This helps them avoid predators. They also have a good sense of smell and hearing. A good sense of smell comes in pretty handy when you need to find some acorns that you buried.

They love acorns and other nuts, along with the seeds of maple and elms. Nuts are stored for future use by burying them in scattered spots. Sometimes these nuts aren't rediscovered and they'll often germinate and grow in the spring. Gray squirrels also eat corn, berries, apples, sap and fungi. In cities, bird feeders supply squirrels with plenty of winter food.

Tree squirrels have slender, lanky bodies, long, muscular limbs, and furred feet. The forefeet have four long digits plus a short, stubby thumb, and the five-toed hind feet are narrow or moderately wide. The bald soles of the feet take the form of prominent, fleshy pads. Because the ankle joints are flexible and can be rotated, squirrels can rapidly descend trees headfirst with the hind feet splayed flat against the trunk. Their large, bright eyes convey an alert demeanour, and the broad, short head tapers to a blunt muzzle adorned with long whiskers. The rounded ears, small in relation to body size, are densely covered with short, fine hairs, which form a long tuft at the tips of the ears in some species. The tail is about as long as head and body or appreciably longer. Furred from base to tip, the tail appears bushy and cylindrical when the hairs grow evenly around the tail; the tail appears flatter if the fur originates only from opposite sides. Claws are large, strong, curved, and very sharp, which enables tree squirrels to navigate vertical surfaces and slim branches.

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December 9th, 2021

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