Squirrels seem harmless, right? But if you spot one acting weird or get bitten, it’s natural to wonder about rabies. The truth is, squirrels almost never carry rabies, so your odds of catching it from one are extremely low. Still, let’s dig into what’s actually risky and what you should watch for. Here’s what you…
You might expect to see squirrels everywhere, perched on every tree, but Puerto Rico’s wildlife doesn’t really fit that picture. Puerto Rico doesn’t have any native squirrel species, though people have spotted a few non-native squirrels in just a handful of places. If you’re curious about what animals you’ll actually run into while exploring the…
You’ll find squirrels all over Japan, especially on Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū. The native Japanese squirrel hangs out in forests and parks. If you wander into the right woodlands, you might spot small reddish-gray tree squirrels. Some places even let you get surprisingly close to them. This post covers the squirrel species you’ll find in…
Most people picture squirrels darting around North America, but Africa actually has its own lineup of these clever little rodents. Yep — Africa’s got plenty of squirrel species, from tiny tree-hoppers to the big ground squirrels you’ll see in deserts, forests, and wide-open savannas. African squirrels aren’t just copies of the ones you know. They…
You’ll spot squirrels all over Europe—both the native red squirrel and the introduced eastern grey. So, yes, Europe has squirrels. But which kind you see? That can really shape the local forests and wildlife. Take a walk through European woods and you might see red squirrels where they’re still holding on, or those bigger grey…
You probably see squirrels almost every day. They’re oddly familiar, right? But sometimes, they seem a bit strange too. Yes — squirrels are mammals: they’ve got fur, warm blood, and their mothers nurse live young. That one fact really shapes how they act, where they hang out, and how scientists put them into categories. Let’s…
You’ll see squirrels just about everywhere in Florida—from bustling city parks to quiet pine forests, and even tucked away in some island groves. Absolutely—Florida’s got several squirrel species. You’ll find the usual tree squirrels, a tiny nocturnal glider, plus a few local subspecies and even some newcomers. As you scroll through this post, you’ll find…
You probably imagine squirrels darting around every park, but Australia just isn’t like that. No squirrel species ever evolved naturally on the Australian continent, so you won’t find wild squirrels roaming free there. A few non-native squirrels popped up in the past and you might spot them in zoos, but Australia’s trees mostly host possums…
You might expect to spot a squirrel darting across a lawn, but Hawaii’s a different story than the mainland. Hawaii has no native or established squirrel populations, so you won’t find squirrels living wild across the islands. So why is that? Well, the islands’ long isolation, the lack of good habitats, and the effects of…
Ever spot a squirrel darting up a tree and a rat scurrying along a gutter, and find yourself wondering if they’re actually related? Well, yeah—they both belong to the rodent order, so they’re distant relatives, but they split into different families and honestly, they act nothing alike. Their rodent background shaped things like their teeth…