Automatically translated from Basque, translation may contain errors. More information here. Elhuyarren itzultzaile automatikoaren logoa

Afforestation operator

  • Urtxintxa, Burtxintxa, Ürtxaintxa, Kataburtxintxa, Katakutxintxa, Katagorri, Kattalagorria, Katamixarra, Katamixer, Mixer... How many names for this beautiful arboriculture rodent. Because who doesn't know the squirrel? It lives especially in the forests, but also in the parks of our towns and cities.
Argazkia: Aitor Montes Arrondo / CC

11 March 2024 - 06:00
Urtxintxa (Sciurus vulgaris)

Group: Vertebrate / Mammal.

Size: Body 20-30 cm and tail 14-25 cm.

Where does he live? Forests and urban parks.

What do you eat? Mainly seeds and fruits.

Level of protection: Not protected.

It's a medium-sized mammal, easily identifiable. It has reddish brown coat with the white bottom. In winter, with more hair, it acquires a darker color and in summer it lights up. In winter it keeps the hair very upright at the tips of the ears, which loses in summer. Very long tail with very spongy hair. Four fingers on your hands and five fingers on your legs. The posterior legs are much longer than the previous ones to jump through the mat.

From the Iberian Peninsula to the forests of China, Korea and Japan, the distribution of squirrel is very wide. The Basques have said that once a squirrel could cross Euskal Herria from end to end without going down to the ground, because our land was full of forests. Is that true? You cannot know! What is clear is that today's most adventurous squirrel couldn't do it without biting.

He's lonely, usually by day. Spend the night at the top of the trees, in the spherical nests he does in the cups. It also produces timber in the holes of the trees, with abundant vegetation. With the work of others, the curious squirrel is also drawn to the holes it does not use and makes black breads. It also uses nests from other birds.

At the time of eating, what they love most are seeds and fruits: acorns, nuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, beech trees, mulberries... but they also eat fungi, insect larvae and snails. If it is height or, by default, does not oppose the eggs or chickens of the nests of small birds. The squirrel adapts to what's out there, it's very thin.

Despite its great satisfaction in the trees, it often descends through the trunk quickly upside down to gather food from the land. Yes, it must always be alert, both on the ground and in the trees. And that is that the Azores, the owl, the martha, the fox, the wild cats and other beasts are always wanting to taste the sweet flesh of the squirrel.

In autumn, she works a lot, collects and collects seeds when there is a shortage of food in winter. Store the seeds in the holes of the trees and in the underground, and slowly the harsh winter spends eating them. Forgotten or not surviving, many acorns and many other seeds are buried. It could be said, unintentionally, that squirrel is engaged in forestry, reafforestation. This plays a very important role in the forest ecosystem.

Using the tail as the rudder to maintain balance, the squirrel performs non-believing stunts. That is where it moves at full speed to move from one tree to another with great jumps. So high, so skilled, what envy. I too would like to be like a squirrel!


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