Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide

The Animal Answer Guides: Q&A for the Curious Naturalist

by Katie E. Ferrell, Katie E. Ferrell

Did you know that a groundhog is really a type of squirrel? That squirrels control their body temperature with their tails? That most squirrels have yellow-tinted eye lenses that work like sunglasses to reduce glare? That tree squirrels can turn their hind feet completely around when climbing down a tree head-first? In The Animal Answer Guide, Richard W. Thorington Jr. and Katie Ferrell unveil the fascinating world of one of the "most watched" mammals on the planet.

The diversity of squirrels is astounding. There are 278 species that inhabit all continents except Antarctica and Australia—varying in size from the lumbering 18-pound gray marmot to the graceful pygmy flying squirrel that is smaller than most mice. In many parts of the world they readily share human habitats, joining us for lunch in a city park, raiding our bird feeders, and sneaking into college dorm rooms through open windows. Reviled as pests or loved as an endearing amusement, squirrels have played important roles in trade, literature, and mythology.

Thorington and Ferrell cover every aspect of this diverse animal family, from the first squirrels of 36 million years ago to the present day. With over one hundred photographs and an intuitive question-and-answer format, this authoritative and engaging guide sheds light on a common mammal that is anything but commonplace.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Science, Nature, Wildlife, Biology, Reference

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there was ever an animal that the zoologically curious can observe closely, it'd be these guys (I don't count dogs and cats since they are sadly our emotional slaves). Squirrels are the Little Rascals of the backyard animal kingdom. I love these guys! They come when I call and eat out of my hand, so the little bastards are smart, too. This is a good place to learn more about them since Thorington seems to be one of the world's experts on Sciuridae and there's a ton of fascinating information here. You'll learn all about what they eat, how they live, why they're always chasing each around (sex), how they manage that face first downward climb, fun facts about the nearly 300 varieties of the species and other minutiae (squirrel penis bones!)!

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost everything you need to know about Scuridae!

[Katey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps more like 3.75 stars. Far more informative than the previous overview I read about squirrels, only some slight repetition (due to how the book's chapters are laid out), and mainly sticks to reality- only a bit about squirrels in mythology and literature at the end. Since this deals with all species of squirrel, it can feel a bit scattered at times, but overall organised well. And only a small portion is about pinecones, thankfully.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative.

[Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! This exactly what I hoped for; a lightly-scientific guide to squirrels.

[SeaShore]

ongoing read. Great information

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and also cute.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting with their skeletons and evolution Thorington and Ferrell present a fairly comprehensive introduction to the Family Sciuridae, including the number and distribution of squirrel throughout the world and some interesting and fascinating facts about them. For instance, there are many more species in tropical Africa than in the South American rain forests, because squirrels, like humans are, relatively speaking, recent arrivals to the new world. The book also covers the topics of food, reproduction, genetics, and interactions with humans (good and bad depending on your point of view), and even a bit about squirrels in literature. A comprehensive list of squirrel species and a scientific bibliography complete the book.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so many great new things about squirrels from this book!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skimmed over the parts that weren't relevant to the squirrels I am interested in. Still had a few questions that weren't answered, but overall, a very thorough book on the subject.

[Sercan]

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