The squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a medium-sized rodent from the family of squirrels (Sciuridae), which inhabits a vast area from Western Europe to East Asia. In the Czech Republic, it can be found in all types of forests, parks, alleys, large orchards or tree cemeteries. It has red, black and sometimes brown fur.
Protein usually grows from 19 to 23 cm and weighs from 250 to 340 g and sometimes more. The length of the fluffy tail, which helps to maintain balance when climbing and jumping on trees, and which the squirrel uses as a "blanket" for the body during sleep, has a length of 14.5 to 20 cm. A characteristic feature of the protein is the brushes of hair on the earlobes, indicating the tip and visible mainly in winter. Like most squirrels in a tree, our squirrels have sharp and curved claws that help them climb tree branches. In the world it is often confused with similar red chicory (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which inhabits North America and Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), which lives, in particular, in North America and Western Europe. The hair color of red protein varies depending on the location and extension periods, but always hair on the abdomen and neck of the creamy color on white. Sexual dimorphism is not developed for sex. In the Czech Republic, red and black forms are the most common, and gray or pure white forms are no exception in the world. Protein changes wool twice a year, from summer to winter and from winter to summer. Winter coats are thicker and darker than in summer and proteins increase between August and November.
Protein survives to a period of reproduction in a single lifestyle and other proteins are usually avoided. In the hollows of trees, sometimes on thicker branches, a nest of 25-30 cm in size, in the form of a swarm, consists of moss, leaves, grass and bark. It can turn the body into a wing shape that is used for longer jumps. These are not territorial and inland areas of individuals and are significantly overlapping.
Protein is active during the day, but at the peak of the day it is mainly hidden in its nest, avoiding heat and visibility for predators, which include mainly European marten, wild cat, fox, weasel, which mainly hunt chicks, but also larger predators such as common buzzards or owls. It does not slow down in winter, but spends more time in the nest than in summer. It can move at speeds of up to 19 km/h.
Food
They spend 60% to 80% of the day looking for food, consisting mainly of cone seeds, mushrooms, which they dry in their nests, avian eggs, various fruits such as nuts, but sometimes they also enjoy fresh juice. Some of the food found is stored in the "pantry" in the hollows of the trees, providing it with an excellent supply of food in the most difficult times. During meals, she sits like most squirrels on the edge, keeping food on her front limbs.
Reproduction
For some persons mating at the end of winter and very early spring, that is, during February and March, but usually more often in the summer of the mating season, during June and July. The man finds his partner because of the penetrating smell that the woman is driving out. After meeting with two partners, the man starts to chase his partner in the trees and does so an hour before mating. In addition, before breeding, the females are fed to gain weight, as higher weight females tend to produce more offspring than lower weight females.
Females can have two litters per year, with one litter usually containing 3-4 puppies born after 38-39 days of pregnancy. Puppies are born blind and almost naked and weigh 10-15 g after birth. They are fully enveloped after 21 days of life, their eyes open after four weeks, and their teeth develop fully after 42 days of eating solid food. However, women are breastfed up to 8-10 weeks after birth.
Most, 75-85% of puppies die during their first winter. Women reach puberty in their second year of life, while men do so a little later. Protein lives in captivity for an average of 3 years, a limit that can increase to 10 years.
