Types of Squirrels

Squirrels have a very impactful presence on the scenery in any urban environment. These small furry mammals make the city look more alive and natural. But did you know that not all squirrels in the city are the same?

In fact, squirrels that inhabit urban environments can be of different types. Let’s look at some of the more common types of squirrels that you can come across during your photography walks in the city.
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1. Tree squirrels
Tree squirrels, also known as Sciurus are the bushy-tailed squirrels that we have come to associate with how generic squirrels look. This is because Sciurus is very common throughout the world. You can find these from North America to most of Europe and Asia.

Tree squirrels are a common sight in a city. They usually live on trees and can be seen around trees gathering food like acorns and nuts. The best place to find them will be in a park that has a lot of trees.
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2. Tamias
Tamias is a type of chipmunk that comes under the squirrel family. These cute-looking mammals only have a single living species left. That is the eastern chipmunk.  They have puffy cute faces and are very small as compared to other types of squirrels. 

Tamias are known to collect and store food for winter use. Hence their name Tamias, which is Greek for steward or Treasurer. These cute little chipmunks aren’t there to look cute, they have a lot of work to do.
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3. Prairie dogs
Prairie dogs are a type of ground burrowing squirrels. These are native to the grasslands of North America. In cities, you can find them inside parks. But instead of living on trees, they make small burrows in the ground.

​They are usually larger in size than regular squirrels. They can grow to be between 12 to 16 inches long. Prairie dogs are very social animals and live in large colonies.
 
4. Ground squirrels
Like Praire Dogs, ground squirrels also make their homes inside small burrows in the ground. Ground squirrels have a few types as well. And some can grow to be as long as 30 inches. 

While ground squirrels prefer to live in open pastures and sparsely wooded hillsides. You can also find them inside parks in cities and other grassy areas like golf courses.

​5. Flying squirrels
These airborne mammals are certainly the most interesting of the bunch. Despite their name, flying squirrels don’t actually have the capability of flight like birds. Instead, they glide from one tree to the next. But calling them gliding squirrels doesn’t sound as cool as flying squirrels. 

Species of flying squirrels can be found across most of North America and Central Asia. While they love to live in wooded areas. They can also be found inside cities now as their habitats are destroyed by expanding cities.

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