We love them whether they're dodging race cars, getting frisky with GoPros or loading up on steroids. And today we get to celebrate just how cool squirrels are thanks to Squirrel Appreciation Day. To mark the occasion, here are six amazing squirrel species you should get to know better.
Grizzled giant squirrel
Found in Sri Lanka (it's the country's national animal) and India's Western Ghats, the tree-dwelling grizzled giant squirrel gets its name from its grey-streaked fur. Image: Steve Garvie, Flickr
Indian giant flying squirrel
While it's just hanging around like that, you probably can't get a good look at it, but we can vouch that the Indian giant flying squirrel is pretty darn adorable if you look more closely. Membranes that connect their forelimbs and hind-limbs allow for night-time parachuting from tree to tree. Image: Tarique Sani, Flickr
Japanese dwarf flying squirrel
We'd really like to present you with some pertinent facts about the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel. And we might … just as soon as we get over how insanely adorable it is. Image: Takashi Hososhima, Flickr.
Giant Red Flying Squirrel
Just in case the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, the red giant flying squirrel is big, red and it can fly (well, it’s gliding and flying, but it’s impressive nonetheless). This nocturnal species lives in southeast Asia and has been recorded soaring up to 75 metres (250 ft.) using the skin membranes between its legs. Image: vil.sandi, Flickr
Prevost's squirrel
These tri-coloured squirrels hang out in forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo, where they play a pretty important role redistributing the seeds from the fruit they eat, potentially giving rise to new generations of plants.
Image: Matthias Buehler, Flickr
Malabar giant squirrel
At almost a metre (3ft) long and weighing in at two kilograms (4lbs.),the Malabar giant squirrel is certainly a heavyweight by squirrel standards. It's also capable of some pretty impressive jumps, leaping five to six metres from one tree to another. Image: Srikaanth Sekar
Top header image: Robert Engberg, Flickr
Predator vs Prey
Funny
Funny
