The squirrel is a small mammal: the length of the body does not exceed 25 cm but it seems much longer because of the tail, which generally measures from 15 to 20 cm. Its build is slender and is equipped with curved and very sturdy claws, which allow it to climb trees very easily. The lower limbs are particularly muscular and this is why the squirrel manages to make great leaps from one branch to another. It is a small forest gymnast! His eyes are round, dark and very expressive: to observe it one can only feel sympathy and tenderness but in reality it is a very shy animal, which does not like to be touched or approached.
The color of the hair can vary depending on the species: it goes from reddish to dark brown, from black to gray for American specimens. Surely one of the distinctive features of the squirrel is the tail: wide, covered with a very long and extremely delicate coat.
Squirrels are omnivorous animals, which means they eat a little bit of everything. In nature, their diet is rich in particular with seeds, fruits, mushrooms but also insects and small bird eggs. As we now know very well, squirrels are fond of nuts and hazelnuts: it can happen to find their food reserves in the woods, because they have the habit of hiding everything in holes and hollows in trees. Remember that the squirrel does not hibernate during the winter season, but spends entire periods sleeping soundly and without even eating.
