Natural History

Posted in Absolute Piffle | Tagged Eurasian red squirrel, red squirrel | 3 Comments

3 Responses

1. on December 3, 2012 at 9:30 am bearcoatpei

   There’s a red squirrel reserve (Freshfields) a few miles from where I live. The grey squirrels are culled in that area of England (Darwin will be rolling in his grave) to stop them out competing their smaller red cousins. It’s a really nice afternoon out as the squirrels are numerous, very tame and as photogenic as that little chap as they scamper through the pine trees looking for a handout. They greys meanwhile are boldly lording it up everywhere else, from towns to inner cities. We have a big plump grey who is quite at home and well fed from the neighbour’s bird tables. He has the swagger and manners of a teenage chav – he-he!

   
   
   • on December 3, 2012 at 10:08 am massugu

     On my trips to England, I always made time to visit parks, tramp the dells, etc. Each time I was struck by the tameness of the animals in these places.

     
     
2. on December 3, 2012 at 8:12 pm Bridget

   In this photo you can see some evolutionary miracles: fingered hands evolving. When it’s a squirrel, or let it be a mouse – not to mention the Primates like lemurs or loris, the animal rather uses his hands to grab a pray. They are all vegetarian, or almost.

   If it was a canidae here, the animal would rather reach to grab the piece of food with his teeth.
   Felidaes (cats) use their paws more cunningly than dogs, but on the other hand, cats don’t have a long muzzle that enables the precise and sometimes amazingly pedant work with just the jaw.

   Using one’s jaw to grab things makes the beasts frightening to us. Like we still were the smallish tropical fruiteaters in a jungle forest where someone trying to grab or touch with a muzzle meant an absolute deadly thing.

   On the contrary, sometimes it would be a good idea to think how scary, or at least suspicious, the human hands with their random extra adds-on like sticks (or other weapons) may look from the view of a shy canidae . They are right, we are.

   
   

Comments are closed.