How Are YOU Celebrating Squirrel Appreciation Day?
By angelamontana

Posted: January 21, 2015

It seems there is some type of appreciation day to celebrate everything from a piece of gum all the way to an entire continent, and today just happens to be Squirrel Appreciation Day, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

squirrel2Some people, while hunting, may not be too fond of squirrels, due to their incessant chattering when they spot you in your tree stand or while you’re stalking that nice buck you’ve been after for weeks, as they can sometimes scare away any potential freezer meat. However, there are some benefits these critters bring.  For example, did you know that squirrels don’t dig up all of the nuts they bury, therefore resulting in more trees?  It’s true.  They function as one of nature’s planters.

Believe it or not, squirrels are actually smarter than many give them credit for, as they are known to pretend they are burying nuts to throw off thieves.  They are apparently not too excited about the idea of working their little butts off to find food and have some other animal eat their findings–without even asking!

Just to expand your knowledge bank a bit more on this day of appreciation for squirrels, here are a few facts you may, or may not, have known about squirrels:

  • Their teeth never stop growing (Yes, just like beavers)
  • A newborn squirrel is just one-inch long….ONE inch!
  • Just like bears,, and other animals, squirrels fatten themselves up to help keep them warm through the winter.
  • Squirrels can find food that is buried a foot beneath the snow!  Yes, really!
  • Squirrels zig zag to avoid being caught by predators.  (You have probably noticed that)

So, now that squirrels are on your brain, you can continue your day with a potentially new appreciation for the critters.  There are a lot of ways to show your appreciation for them, other than taking pictures of them.  You could eat squirrel for dinner today.  There are some good recipes here.  You could also take a newbie hunting, as squirrels are a great animal for new bow and rifle hunters to start with.  Shooting them can be a challenging because of their predator quick, distracting, predator evading zig zagging and their small size.

So, there you have it.  Appreciate squirrels today in one way or another!  Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!

(Feature photo by Tailgun2009 via deviantart.com)

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