natureatitsbest12's video: A SQUIRRELLY KIND OF DAY

Squirrels are terrific climbers, but they do come to the ground in search of food such as nuts, acorns, berries, and flowers. They also eat bark, eggs, or baby birds. Tree sap is a delicacy to some species. Squirrels are nimble, bushy-tailed rodents found all over the world. There are more than 200 species of squirrels There have been around 6,100 sightings of the blacks, and there are believed to be more than 2 million grey squirrels living in the UK. Both are a threat to the red squirrel and can carry a pox which can kill reds and damage trees. ... “It is not yet known how it is going to affect the squirrel. In grey squirrels the pigment gene works by producing two hormones - one which turns a switch on to produce black fur and another which turns this off, so that white and orange can be produced - creating the stripes. The mutation in pure black squirrels, which are no threat to greys and can mate with them, is inherited from both parents and has a piece missing which is involved in producing pigment. This makes their fur remain black rather than develop white and orange stripes which gives grey squirrels their coat. Squirrels breed once or twice a year and give birth to a varying number of young after three to six weeks, depending on species. The young are born naked, toothless, and blind. In most species of squirrel, only the female looks after the young, which are weaned at around six to ten weeks of age and become sexually mature at the end of their first year. In general, ground-dwelling species are social animals, often living in well-developed colonies, but the tree-dwelling species are more solitary Ground and tree squirrels are typically diurnal or crepuscular, while flying squirrels tend to be nocturnal—except for lactating flying squirrels and their offspring, which have a period of diurnality during the summer. Music by Silent Partner 1, River Flow 2. Sioux Falls courtesy of Youtube audio library