Squirrel
A rodent in the family Sciuridae, a diverse group that includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, marmots, and flying squirrels.
Sciuridae: A family of rodents that includes squirrels, marmots, chipmunks, and prairie dogs. This family is the taxonomic group that contains squirrels.
Scatter-hoarding: Food storage in which an animal hides separate items at many locations. Many squirrels bury nuts in scattered caches for later use.
Eastern gray squirrel: A tree squirrel native to eastern North America, with gray or melanistic coats. It is a familiar example of a tree-dwelling squirrel.
Ecological succession: The gradual change in a community's species composition and structure over time. Seed burial by squirrels can influence which trees establish after disturbance.
Chipmunk: A small, often striped ground-dwelling member of the squirrel family, common in North America and Asia. Chipmunks are sciurids often distinguished from squirrels in everyday naming.
Rodent: A mammal in the order Rodentia, characterized by a pair of continuously growing incisors in each jaw. Squirrels belong to this broader mammalian order.
Spatial memory: The ability to encode and use information about locations and spatial relationships. Squirrels rely on location memory when recovering hidden food.
Red squirrel: A common name for several squirrel species with reddish coats, including the Eurasian red squirrel. The Eurasian species illustrates tree squirrels beyond North America.
Urban wildlife: Wild animals that live in or use human-built environments. Squirrels readily exploit food and nesting sites in cities and suburbs.
Prairie dog: A burrowing, social ground squirrel native to North American grasslands. Despite its name, a prairie dog is a squirrel rather than a dog.