Tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) commonly just referred to as "squirrels". They include more than 100 arboreal species native to all continents except Antarctica and Oceania.[1][2][3][a]
They do not form a single natural, or monophyletic, group; they are variously related to others in the squirrel family, including ground squirrels, flying squirrels, marmots, and chipmunks. The defining characteristic used to determine which species of Sciuridae are tree squirrels is dependent on their habitat rather than their physiology. Tree squirrels live mostly among trees, as opposed to those that live in burrows in the ground or among rocks. An exception is the flying squirrel that also makes its home in trees, but has a physiological distinction separating it from its tree squirrel cousins: special flaps of skin called patagia, acting as glider wings, which allow gliding flight.
The best-known genus of tree squirrels is Sciurus, which includes the eastern gray squirrel of North America (introduced to Great Britain in the 1870s),[4] the red squirrel of Eurasia, and the North American fox squirrel, among many others. Many tree squirrel species have adapted to human-altered environments such as rural farms, suburban backyards and urban parks.
- ^ Menkhorst, P.; Knight, F. (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 204. ISBN 0-19-550870-X.
- ^ Seebeck, J. H. "Sciuridae" (PDF). Fauna of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
- ^ Musser, Guy G. (2007). "Squirrel". Encyclopædia Britannica online Academic edition. Chicago, Illinois: Encyclopædia Britannica. OCLC 263690320. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
- ^ "History of grey squirrels in UK". 18 March 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
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