Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Coffee Time! #5 Squirrel Appreciation Day!
Hi everyone and Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day! Yep, this is a real day, started in 2001 and happens every January 21. Squirrels are found all over the world, except Antarctica. They were introduced to Australia but are native animals everywhere else. Of course, that doesn’t mean you will find these cute critters everywhere, but they are very common.
Apparently gray squirrels are the most common here in N. America, although in our area they would be considered rare and almost non existent. We have Red Squirrels which are much smaller and more lively than their larger cousins. Some people hate them, and I understand they can be a pest at times, but normally speaking most people love them because they are cute and fun to have around.
Major US cities spent a lot of time introducing squirrels into the new parks they had established in those cities. This was done mainly during the 1850s and then again beginning in the 1870s. They are actually a very important part of the forest ecosystem. Squirrels have amazing tenacity when it comes to getting food, especially around bird feeders.
I know that very well and have spent a lot of time trying in vain to outsmart these amazing rodents. Many people over the years have tried to outsmart them, without success. But, they are cute and fun to have around. They can be dangerous if they get into the walls or attic of a house, but is possible to keep them out, however there might be some expense involved in that prevention.
Anyway, the focus of the day is the fun part of squirrels. It seems everywhere that I went hiking, whether in summer or winter, I would always meet some squirrels. Sometimes a lot of them. And even in areas where people did not normally travel, some of these squirrels were quite friendly and would come right up to me to take peanuts from my hand.
Other squirrels were less trusting, so I would have to toss the food to them. It can be next to impossible to keep them from bird feeders, but often that problem can be solved by having more than one feeder. Although that doesn’t always work. But it is fun sitting outside and having these squirrels crawling all over me looking for a peanut. Or two. Or more.
The above squirrel, a female named Reddy, loved to hang around here.
I think chipmunks are cuter, but squirrels are still fun. Muffin agrees with me, though for a slightly different reason. Oh well. I do like squirrels, but I like chipmunks more. It is cold again this morning, like it was yesterday, and the day before. When that temperature drops past -40F/C, then it is just cold.
Well, time for more coffee. Don’t forget to say ‘hi’ to a squirrel. Have a great day everyone and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2025 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 
Stay warm, Steve. We had the frigid weather you are experiencing but now we have gotten more snow and weather in the teens.
Squirrels like to take over everything. One summer, while growing cherry tomatoes, in pots on my deck I found a squirrel who had picked a nice red one and was eating it with its paws. It was cute but not welcome!
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Yes, that is one problem with squirrels, I certainly found that out trying to keep them away from my bird feeders. Although it was frustrating at times, I still enjoyed having them around.🙄😂
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You do know that squirrels are just rats with big furry tails, don’t you?
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Actually, although squirrels and rats are both rodents, both are from different suborders. Rats are from the suborder Myomorpha, while squirrels are from the suborder Sciuromorpha. So, they are loosely related but totally different species. And squirrels are cuter, but terribly obnoxious critters at times, especially around bird feeders. 🙄😼
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Thanks for the information Steve
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Something I didn’t know until recently is that rodents make up nearly 50% of all mammal species!🙀 Yet I have such a hard time getting pictures of them, except for squirrels and chipmunks.🙄📷
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Too quick for us! We recently came across a teeny, tiny mouse in the foodhall of a department store which looked right at home and not afraid of the shoppers.
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hehe! With all that food, who cares about shoppers! We had a squirrel living in the pet section of our Walmart store. He enjoyed living in a bird house and feasting on all the birdseed.
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I bet!
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This reminds me of when I told some friends in Alaska where I was living for a year, about squirrel and rabbit hunting with my brother-in-law in Kansas. They looked shocked!! “What in the world would you shoot a squirrel for!? There’s hardly enough meat on ’em to start a kebob!”
“Well,” I said. “Your Alaskan (and Canadian) squirrels may be tiny, but in Kansas we grow them as big as big as a small bobcat.” Good eats.😋
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Keep warm But I will never appreciate a squirrel, unless it’s served with bacon and onions. 🤣😎🙃
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Oh, what a horrible thought! Except for the bacon and onions part! 😂😹❄️
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