Red Squirrel

Red squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Zagatala State Nature Reserve

A species of animal belonging to the Squirrel family of the Rodents order of the Mammals class. It was brought to Azerbaijan at the beginning of the last century and acclimatized.

It is 25 cm tall. Behind their bodies, they have tails consisting of wide and thick hairs that are almost as long as their height, standing upwards. Thanks to this long tail, the squirrel jumps from tree to tree without losing its balance.

Able to climb trees thanks to its small sharp claws, the squirrel can run on branches, swing upside down and move forward in that way. At this time, their flattened tails both ensure their balance and perform a rudder function that regulates their direction. They can even throw themselves from a height of 9 meters into the void and land softly on all fours.