Like the raccoon,
the squirrel is well known for its bushy tail.
In proportion to the rest of its body, this tail
stands out and really makes this animal a unique
and cute looking animal to say the least. It is
that bushy tail that is one of the reasons why
so many people think squirrels are quite
adorable.
However, you may wonder if there are more
important reasons that a squirrel has such a
large tail? What do squirrels do with their
tails?
Well, it first starts with the fact that the
tail is a very useful tool in helping these
animals to maintain their balance. If you have
ever seen a squirrel walking across a very small
branch or the wire that leads from a tree to the
roof of the home, you have probably noticed that
that tail stays upright and helps to maintain
their balance. It gives them the ability to be a
tight rope walker of sorts, and this is an
essential ingredient in how they are able to
maintain their balance through the entire
process of getting across that wire.
You may have also noticed that frequently a
squirrel will stop on a wire and grip the wire
with their back feet while leaning over to try
to grab something. The tail plays an integral
part in them being able to maintain their
balance while hanging onto the wire. In fact,
without it they would likely fall off.
Squirrels frequently use this technique when
they are attempting to grab something that is in
the water below them or that is on the ground
beneath them. Falling in the water could be
quite dangerous to them, and they don’t want to
risk getting onto the ground where other animals
would have a shot at capturing and killing them.
Therefore, the tail gives them the additional
balance that they need to be able to maintain
their balance on the branch or wire so they can
grab the food or whatever item is located
beneath them while not worrying about falling
off.
The tail also has a couple of other purposes
that it is used for. One of these is to help it
to pat down locations where it is building a
home or storing its food. In the same way that a
beaver would pat down an area with its tail, the
squirrel uses its hind end appendage to pat down
the soil so that it is not visible to other
animals around it.
In a pinch, a squirrel can also use its tail as
a defense mechanism. If it is trapped in some
way and a predator is approaching from behind it
may use its tail to slap at the predator to try
to scare it away. Depending upon the size of the
animal that is approaching, this can be a very
effective technique in defeating its enemy so
that it can survive to another day. Since
squirrel has so few ways to defend itself, this
is one of its best.
Read more:
Squirrel
Control,
How
to Get Rid of Squirrels,
how
to get squirrels out of your attic,
Squirrel
Feces,
How
to Keep Squirrels Away from House,
How
to Kill Squirrels.
