Mammal Stereotypes - Squirrels - 35 - Page 1

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Cartoon squirrels and chipmunks will often speak with sped up voices. Squirrels belong to family Sciuridae of small or medium-size rodents. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots (including woodchucks), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and have been introduced to Australia.

Squirrels are generally small animals, ranging in size from the African pygmy squirrel at 7-10 cm (2.8-3.9 in) in length and just 10 g (0.35 oz) in weight, to the Alpine marmot, which is 53-73 cm (21-29 in) long and weighs from 5 to 8 kg (11 to 18 lb). Squirrels typically have slender bodies with bushy tails and large eyes. In general, their fur is soft and silky, although much thicker in some species than others. The color of squirrels is highly variable between - and often even within - species.