The Western Gray Squirrel boasts a striking silvery-gray coat and unique white belly. These squirrels live in mature forests along the western coastal areas of the United States, including California, Oregon, and Washington.
They eat seeds, nuts, acorns, pine cones, and the occasional fruit, berry, insect, or bird egg. Moreover, they bury food for later use, contributing to the health and growth of their forest homes.
During their mating season from late winter to early spring, young Western Gray Squirrels are born, symbolizing the renewal of life in the spring.
These squirrels have also adapted to the Sierra Nevada mountains. They prefer mature forests with ample shelter and food sources.
Username: DinRat Published on 2024-12-14 17:41:23 ID NUMBER: 127051
The Eastern Gray Squirrels live in woodlands and urban areas throughout the eastern and midwestern US and eastern provinces of Canada2.
These agile creatures are most active during sunrise and sunset. Eastern Gray Squirrels also store food in secret stashes, which benefits them and the environment by spreading seeds far and wide.
One of their most impressive tricks is their unique agility. For instance, their ankles can rotate 180 degrees, allowing them to make a death-defying head-first descent down trees.
The Southern Flying Squirrel is a small squirrel species with unique nocturnal adaptations.
They possess large eyes perfectly adapted for nocturnal adventures and a flap of skin3, called 'patagium,' that stretches from wrist to ankle, allowing them to glide from tree to tree.
These squirrels live in deciduous and mixed forests and prefer to build their nests in tree cavities. Additionally, the Southern Flying Squirrels huddle together for warmth during the winter season.
Their diet comprises nuts, seeds, fruits, insects, bird eggs, and small birds.
Moreover, they play a significant role in their ecosystems by planting the seeds of new forests and being a food source for larger predators.
Northern Flying Squirrels are expert gliders that use a skin-like membrane called the patagium to navigate their treetop homes.
They typically live in mature, dense forests where they have access to a variety of food, including fungi, which they help to disperse by scattering spores.
These squirrels also huddle in their nests to keep warm during cold temperatures.
The Arizona Gray Squirrel lives in the coniferous forests of Arizona and New Mexico. These squirrels are known for their gray coat, white belly, and bushy tail.
They live in the calm wilderness and are often seen in trees, consuming various foods such as acorns, pine seeds, fruits, and berries.
Likewise, they store food during winter months to ensure their survival and contribute to seed dispersal, which is essential for the health of their forest homes.
Breeding season occurs in late winter or early spring, and after a gestation period of around 44 days, the female gives birth to 2-3 offspring. With an average lifespan of 6-7 years, these squirrels are survivors.
As the largest tree squirrels in North America, fox squirrels can grow remarkably 27 inches long. Their habitats span the eastern and central United States, extending to the West Coast and Canada.
Likewise, Fox Squirrels have comfortably settled in various settings, from mature hardwood and pine forests to tree-covered urban neighborhoods.
Fox Squirrels are diurnal creatures with sharp claws and muscular hind legs, making them excellent climbers. They can quickly move up and down trees and leap from branch to branch.
Fox squirrels prefer acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, and other tree seeds for food. However, they will supplement their diet with fruits, berries, insects, bird eggs, and small rodents when necessary.
Unlike other squirrel species, Fox Squirrels do not store food for the winter. Instead, they bury food during warmer months and rely on their remarkable memory to find it when the weather turns cold.
The American Red Squirrel is a small, active rodent in North America's coniferous forests. Their fur is reddish and can range from a soft rusty red to a deep chestnut brown.
They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon, searching for food or guarding their territory.
Likewise, they eat coniferous tree seeds, mushrooms, fruits, and berries, and sometimes even bird eggs or young birds.
They observe "larder hoarding" to store food in a central cache for the winter months, showcasing their industrious nature.
The Douglas Squirrel lives in the conifers along the Pacific coastline of North America. This herbivorous squirrel feeds on seeds, berries, nuts, and conifer cones but may add insects and bird eggs when food is scarce.
Unlike other squirrel species, the Douglas Squirrel remains active during winter, gathering and storing food in hidden caches to get through the cold months. These caches often sprout into new saplings, contributing to the forest's renewal.
Named after Scottish botanist David Douglas, the Douglas Squirrel is a common sight in the lush forests from British Columbia to central California.
The Western Gray Squirrel boasts a striking silvery-gray coat and unique white belly. These squirrels live in mature forests along the western coastal areas of the United States, including California, Oregon, and Washington.
They eat seeds, nuts, acorns, pine cones, and the occasional fruit, berry, insect, or bird egg. Moreover, they bury food for later use, contributing to the health and growth of their forest homes.
During their mating season from late winter to early spring, young Western Gray Squirrels are born, symbolizing the renewal of life in the spring.
These squirrels have also adapted to the Sierra Nevada mountains. They prefer mature forests with ample shelter and food sources.
Ground squirrels live across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. They have built homes in diverse landscapes, from deserts to forests.
Likewise, they are small to medium-sized with sturdy bodies and short legs. Their tails are bushy, and their fur comes in earthy tones.
Ground squirrels create extensive tunnel systems to protect themselves from harsh weather and predators. These tunnels also contain food storage rooms and nurseries for their young.
Moreover, these squirrels are most active during the morning and late afternoon and are mainly vegetarians. However, they will occasionally snack on insects and small vertebrates.
The Indian Giant Squirrel inhabits India's rainforests. It is one of the largest squirrels in the world, with a body length ranging from 25 to 45 cm and a tail that can grow up to 60 cm.
The squirrel's coat is a mix of chestnut, maroon, black, and white, and its big, round eyes help it see in the dense forests where it lives.
Indian Giant Squirrels live alone, high up in trees, constructing large, globe-like nests from twigs and leaves.
They eat fruits, flowers, nuts, tree bark, insects, and bird eggs and play an essential role in spreading seeds and helping new plants grow.
Besides their impressive size and colorful appearance, Indian Giant Squirrels are skilled acrobats. They hang upside down from branches, stretching their bodies to reach their food.
The Alpine Marmot is a squirrel relative found in Central and Southern Europe. It resides in rocky terrain and lush alpine meadows between 800 and 3,200 meters above sea level.
The marmot digs burrows for shelter that can reach depths up to 3 meters, often located among the region's native flora, which makes up the marmot's diet.
Likewise, the Alpine Marmot usually lives in colonies of up to 20 members. Each colony is a large family led by a dominant breeding pair and filled with their offspring.
Alpine marmots are hardy creatures built for survival in harsh climates. These squirrels hibernate for up to nine months during the icy winters, only emerging when spring arrives.
The Alpine marmot also does a unique whistle, echoing through the mountain air, which signals the rest of the colony that danger is near.
The Black Giant Squirrel has a striking black coat contrasted by cream to cinnamon hues on its underparts. Their body can grow up to 15 inches while their tails can be twice as long.
It's an arboreal animal found in Southeast Asia's mature forests that feeds on seeds, nuts, fruits, leaves, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.
Like oriental giant squirrels, this squirrel rarely ventures to the ground, preferring the trees' safety, where it communicates with its fellow squirrels through distinct calls.
The Variable Squirrel, or Finlayson's Squirrel, stands out due to its diverse coloration. This varies from black and white to grays and even lively hues of orange and red. You can identify them by their medium size, bushy tails, and rounded ears.
You'll find Variable Squirrels predominantly in Southeast Asia. Their habitat spans from forests to urban parks. Adaptation is their stronghold, allowing them to thrive in a wide range of environments.
Their diet largely consists of seeds, fruits, and nuts. However, they also occasionally consume insects.
The Layard's Palm Squirrel boasts a mix of grays and browns with an off-white underbelly. Noticeably, it has two thin and one thick stripes of orange along its body.
Found primarily in South Asia, these squirrels favor habitats with tropical weather. They are tree-dwellers, spending most of their time in rainforests, gardens, plantations, and woodland areas. Their choice of residence allows quick access to their preferred food sources.
Layard’s Palm Squirrels have a diverse omnivorous diet. They feast on various vegetation, including fruits, nuts, and flowers, but also consume insects and bird eggs when available. Their active daytime behavior involves foraging for food and agile tree-hopping.
The Western Gray Squirrel boasts a striking silvery-gray coat and unique white belly. These squirrels live in mature forests along the western coastal areas of the United States, including California, Oregon, and Washington.
They eat seeds, nuts, acorns, pine cones, and the occasional fruit, berry, insect, or bird egg. Moreover, they bury food for later use, contributing to the health and growth of their forest homes.
During their mating season from late winter to early spring, young Western Gray Squirrels are born, symbolizing the renewal of life in the spring.
These squirrels have also adapted to the Sierra Nevada mountains. They prefer mature forests with ample shelter and food sources.
This orchid is unique because it spends its entire life underground, except for its flowers. Found in Western Australia, it's rare due to its specific habitat needs. It's a fascinating example of nature's adaptability.
The Northwestern Crow stands around 17 inches tall, slightly smaller than the common crow. This type of crow nests primarily along the coasts of the northeastern Pacific Ocean, predominantly in forested areas near rivers.
Interestingly, the diet of this coastal crow differs slightly from that of its relatives. Aside from the typical crow menu, it forages along the shoreline to feed on clams, crustaceans, and sea urchins, employing different tactics to open them up.
The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is a rattlesnake living in the arid landscapes of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. It is known for its diamond-shaped patterns and robust size, reaching up to 4 feet.
This type of rattlesnake earns its "coon tail" nickname due to its distinct tail pattern. The black and white banding resembles a raccoon's tail, hence the moniker.
The snake possesses a hemotoxic venom but uses it only when necessary. It is defensive and warns with its rattles before striking.
The snake is more active during cooler hours and feeds on small mammals, birds, lizards, and other snakes.
The Northwestern Neotropical Rattlesnake lives in Southwestern Mexico, with some staying at Sierra de Coalcomán, reaching elevations up to 6,500 feet. It has a unique skin coloration and can grow around 3.2 feet in length.
This type of rattlesnake is terrestrial and diurnal, feeding on rodents, birds, and lizards.
Crotalus culminatus syn. Crotalus durissus culminatus at the San Diego Zoo, California, USA
The Western Gray Squirrel boasts a striking silvery-gray coat and unique white belly. These squirrels live in mature forests along the western coastal areas of the United States, including California, Oregon, and Washington.
They eat seeds, nuts, acorns, pine cones, and the occasional fruit, berry, insect, or bird egg. Moreover, they bury food for later use, contributing to the health and growth of their forest homes.
During their mating season from late winter to early spring, young Western Gray Squirrels are born, symbolizing the renewal of life in the spring.
These squirrels have also adapted to the Sierra Nevada mountains. They prefer mature forests with ample shelter and food sources.
With the same word repeated thrice, its scientific name is effortlessly funny. Western lowland gorillas have lighter coats than other gorilla species. They have the widest range, covering over 700,000 square kilometers of lush rainforests across Central Africa.
Western lowland gorillas are umbrella species that protect other species around them. Unfortunately, logging and poaching threaten their existence.
The Western Lowland Gorilla is the nominate subspecies of the Western Gorillas found in Cameroon and other parts of Central Africa. It is also the smallest of the four subspecies.
This type of gorilla has black skin and coarse black hair except for the bare face, ears, hands, and feet. Notably, Snowflake, the unique albino gorilla from Equatorial Guinea, hailed from this species. Taken as a youngster to the Barcelona Zoo in 1966, Snowflake's pale form intrigued the world.
Contrary to previous beliefs that gorillas were non-territorial, studies have shown that their neighbors' locations influence their movements. They demonstrate a preference against feeding in areas visited by another group the same day, indicating a more nuanced territorial behavior4.
Interestingly, Western Lowland Gorillas show signs of tool use. A recorded instance in 2009 reveals a gorilla using a stick to gauge water depth while another used a bucket to collect water at Buffalo Zoological Gardens. This display of spontaneous tool utilization for drinking, particularly among younger females, provides a unique glimpse into gorilla cognition.
Lastly, a serious concern with western lowland gorillas is their link to zoonotic diseases. Scientists believe them to be one of the sources of HIV/AIDS transmission. This is attributed to the Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in gorillas, which surprisingly resembles a strain present in HIV-1.
The Western Chimpanzee hails from West Africa - you can spot them from Senegal to Ghana. They thrive in varied habitats, be it dry and moist lowland tropical forests or forest galleries creeping into savannah woodlands.
Their diet is as diverse as their habitat. They are omnivorous, favoring fruits and sometimes leaves or bark. Mammals and insects also enter their platter, while dietary preferences vary among communities and seasons.
Populations of these subspecies form communities of about 12 to 84 individuals. Alarmingly, Western Chimpanzees are critically endangered5, with a steep drop of 6.53% yearly from 1990 to 2014. Primary threats include habitat destruction due to human activities, bushmeat poaching, and infectious diseases.
Despite their massive size, gorillas are peaceful, shy, and reserved. The genus gorilla comprises both the eastern and western gorilla species. Unfortunately, both are critically endangered species due to habitat loss, poaching, and disease.
Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma, commonly known as the Western Cottonmouth or Water moccasin, is thick-bodied like others on this list, but maintains complexions of saw-like edges and bands difficult to see with the naked eye. These snakes are visible with their lighter cream pinstripes, big white mouths, and elliptical pupils, and do stand out with massive triangular heads that make it easy to confuse with Floridian species or other dark-colored snakes near bodies of water.
