Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day! Just what the world needs: a whole day devoted to the appreciation of the squirrel. Wow! According to the founder, Christy Hargrove, “celebration of the event itself is up to the individual or group — anything from putting out extra food for the squirrels to learning something new about the species.”

Want to broaden your understanding of the squirrel? Here are some fun facts:

• There are about three-hundred varieties of squirrels
• A squirrel’s brain is about the size of a walnut.
• Squirrels chew on tree branches to sharpen and clean their teeth.
• Gray squirrels are considered to be living fossils because they haven’t changed much in 37 million years.
• Squirrels can run at speeds up to twenty miles per hour.
• Baby squirrels do not have teeth or hair. They are blind for the first six to eight weeks of life.
• Adult squirrels normally live alone but are not unsocial when it comes to sharing their nests with visitors especially in the winter months.
• The sweat glands of a tree squirrel are located on their feet.
• A squirrel’s eyes are situated high and on both sides of their head which allows them to have a wide field of vision without having to turn their heads.
• Squirrels take pride in their grooming ritual. They are considered to be the cleanest animal in the rodent family.

Be squirrely!