Squirrels are medium-sized rodents that belong to the family Sciuridae. The word “squirrel” seems to be derived, at its very beginnings, from the Ancient Greek “skiouros”, which can be literally translated as “shadow-tailed”, a reference to the bushy tailed possessed by many species of squirrels.
Squirrels are medium-sized rodents that belong to the family Sciuridae. Although they do not infest homes in large numbers and are considered by many to be cute, squirrels are also found to be much more invasive than any other type of pests, mainly because of the range of damage they can cause.
Although squirrels do not usually infest homes in large numbers, even a single individual is capable of causing considerable damage, as they will chew anything they can, from plastic to metal, event electric cables, thus causing blackouts or fires. Squirrels are messy and noisy, inflict structural damage on buildings, and spread diseases via their feces and urine. They also hide food in the yard or garden, only to dig hundreds of holes later in an effort to find it.
Squirrels are part of the family Sciuridae, that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots (including woodchucks), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs amongst other rodents. They can be found in the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and were introduced by humans to Australia. Squirrels’ diets consist primarily of a wide variety of plants, including nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, and green vegetation, but depending on the specie, they can also eat insects, eggs, small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents.