January 21st: Squirrel Appreciation Day

Squirrel Appreciation Day was founded in 2001 by Christy Hargrove, an animal rehabilitator from North Carolina. She suggests celebrating by putting some food out for neighbourhood squirrels (see points 4 and 6) or, if you are one of those people who think they are pests and should not be encouraged to come into people's gardens, you can instead learn something new about them by reading my 10 things you may not know about squirrels!

1. Squirrels belong to family of small or medium-size rodents. The family includes chipmunks, marmots, woodchucks, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs as well as tree and ground squirrels.
2. The word "squirrel" comes from Anglo-Norman which itself derives from the Latin word sciurus, meaning shadow-tailed.
3. The smallest species of squirrel is the African pygmy squirrel which is 7–10 cm long and weighs and just 10g. The largest is the Alpine marmot, which is 53–73 cm long and weighs from 5 to 8 kg. 
4. Squirrels cannot digest cellulose, so they eat a wide variety of plants, including nuts, seeds, fruit, fungi, and green leaves. Some species of squirrel will eat insects, eggs, small birds, young Snakes, and smaller rodents when there is a shortage of other food. Squirrels cannot vomit.
5. Some squirrels are white, not because they are albinos, but because of a recessive gene found in grey squirrels in North America. Olney, Illinois, has the world's largest known white squirrel colony, so the town claims to be the white squirrel capital of the world. The squirrels have the right of way on all streets in the town, and running one down results in a $500 fine. The squirrels are so much a part of the culture of the town that the logo of the local police force features one.
6. Not all squirrels hibernate in winter. Some species of ground squirrels do, but tree squirrels don't. However, they may not leave their nests for days in very cold weather, and although usually solitary, will huddle together with other adult squirrels for warmth. 
7. They do bury nuts, though. Before they bury a nut, they will lick it so that it carries their scent and is easier for them to find again later.
8. The collective name for a group of squirrels is a Scurry.
9. A squirrel's brain is about the size of a Walnut. 
10. Squirrels can control the flow of Blood to their tails. This is useful to them for two reasons - it helps regulate the squirrel's body heat (a squirrel's sweat glands are in its feet - so in hot weather they may leave little wet footprints on paths), and helps them defend themselves against predators which hunt by heat detection.