Squirrel Facts

Why am I about to list squirrel facts? For no good reason, except that I've been trying to find some information about their biogeography (i.e. which types of squirrel live where) and haven't been having much luck. Somewhere, there must be a neat map showing ranges, like birders use for their favored creatures.

While I search, here are five odd squirrel facts I've come across.

1. Squirrels (of one sort or another) constitute 40% of all mammals.

2. Doctors in Kentucky recently warned would-be squirrel gourmands that squirrels may carry a fatal strain of "mad cow disease". Which makes sense -- they do seem like crazy litle critters.

3. In the early 1800s, the squirrel population was out of control in Ohio. So much so that Ohio settlers organized squirrel hunts, and some became very good at the activity. By 1810, it was not uncommon for a single hunter in a single day's hunting to bag 2,000 of them.

4. Princess Diana was extremely fond of squirrels, and used to scatter nuts about the grounds of Kensington Palace for their delectation. Shortly after her death in 1997, five dozen squirrels (i.e. 60) were found drowned in the palace pool. Speculation blames gardeners glad to finally be able to get rid of the creatures now that their protector was gone. But an investigation by the RSPCA established nothing.

5. Bill Adler has written a book called Outwitting Squirrels, which as you might imagine concerns ideas for bird lovers and gardeners. The Wall Street Journal has called it "a masterpiece of squirrel stratagems."