The squirrel family, Scuridae includes squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. In Texas there are eight species or types of squirrel including flying squirrels, ground squirrels and tree squirrels. The word squirrel comes from a Greek word, skiouros which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy tail on certain species. Squirrels are rodents like rats, mice and beavers. All rodents have ever-growing incisors, which means their front teeth never stop growing. Their front teeth are orange because they are covered with a hard coating called enamel. Rodents must wear down their teeth so they don’t keep growing into their brain. As they grind their teeth against hard things such as tree bark, the soft tooth underneath wears down, and the enamel sharpens like a chisel. This is a trait found in all rodents.
The squirrel family, Scuridae includes squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. In Texas there are eight species or types of squirrel including flying squirrels, ground squirrels and tree squirrels. The word squirrel comes from a Greek word, skiouros which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy tail on certain species. Squirrels are rodents like rats, mice and beavers. All rodents have ever-growing incisors, which means their front teeth never stop growing. Their front teeth are orange because they are covered with a hard coating called enamel. Rodents must wear down their teeth so they don’t keep growing into their brain. As they grind their teeth against hard things such as tree bark, the soft tooth underneath wears down, and the enamel sharpens like a chisel. This is a trait found in all rodents.