THE SQUIRRELS 



THE SQUIRRELS 



Squirrels belong to the Rodent or gnawing tribe 

 of animals. They are almost world-wide in their 

 distribution, and the number of species is very 

 great . A few kinds are terrestrial and live in burrows 

 in the ground, but the vast majority are tree- 

 dwellers. Some kinds progress from branch to 

 branch, and tree to tree, by means of a parachute- 

 like membrane attached to the sides of the body 

 and legs. These are known as Flying Squirrels. 



Squirrels feed on nuts, fruits, berries, bark, tender 

 shoots and roots ; supplemented when occasion 

 offers by birds' eggs and nestling birds. 



In South Africa there are two widely different 

 kinds of Squirrels. One lives in little family parties 

 in burrows out on the treeless Karoo ; the other 

 kind is arboreal, inhabiting the forest districts 

 of the country. 



There are six species of Squirrels, and three sub- 

 species recorded from South Africa south of the 

 Zambesi and Cunene Rivers. TJie best known are 

 the following : 



THE GREY-FOOTED SQUIRREL 



(Paraxerus cepapi) 



The Grey-footed Squirrel is an inhabitant of the 

 bushlands of the northern provinces of South Africa. 



SI 



