Squirrel, Ground, 9" Tall

4071, SQUIRREL, GROUND 9'' are anatomically scaled to create the best reproduction of the life size stuffed animal and the most realistic stuffed animal in the industry.

Ground squirrels are adept excavators and can dig colonial burrows larger than football fields!

Ground squirrels are rodents in the Sciuridae family. Many members of this group are called ground squirrels, but some are also known as marmots, prairie dogs and chipmunks. These rodents live mostly on the ground, although they can climb when necessary. They are expert diggers, adept at burrowing. Most species live colonially, although some are more solitary in nature. When they are outside their burrows, ground squirrels are most often eating or gathering food. They are most often noticed when they are standing up, looking around and surveying their environment for predators or other dangers.

Ground squirrels spend most of their time on the ground or in burrows. They are typically found in fields, pastures, grasslands or savannas. They are sometimes found in shrublands, forests, or in deserts or rocky areas. Many species prefer habitats that are primarily flat, while others thrive in mountainous regions. Areas of high visibility seem to be a priority for most species of ground squirrels. Many species live colonially and dig extensive burrow systems under large areas.

The species from the Marmotini tribe are found throughout most of the northern hemisphere, in Europe, Asia and North America. A few species live in Southeast Asia, dwelling in the forests and using primarily tree trunks and rotting logs for their burrows. Several species live in the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico, while others live in forests or open areas at elevations from sea level to high in the mountains. Ground squirrels native to Eurasia also live in a variety of habitats, depending on the species.

Ground squirrels are generally omnivores, although some species are primarily herbivorous. They eat a wide variety of foods, including nuts, berries, seeds, fungi, and the tender green parts of plants. Omnivorous species also eat various insects, including beetles, cicadas, crickets, grasshoppers, and different sorts of insect larvae. Some ground squirrels are specially adapted to hunt specific prey, with long snouts for digging up worms and insect larvae, or strong claws for digging insects out of rotting wood. 

• There are more than 60 species of rodents grouped together as ground squirrels.
• The ground squirrel tribes have undergone significant reorganization based on phylogenetic evidence since 2007.
• These rodents vary in size from just a few ounces to 30 pounds!
• Despite their name, ground squirrels can climb trees when they want.
• Some species hibernate up to eight months a year, while others do not hibernate at all.

Product Dimension: 6.69(L) X 5.51(W) X 8.66(H)

HANSA CREATION, INC. Collection is HANSA CREATION's hand-crafted collection of realistic plush animals. It takes great pride in each enchanting work of soft sculpture art, carefully designed to educate, fascinate, captivate and inspire creative play for collectors of all ages.

Artists create each HANSA animal from portraits of the creature in its natural habitat appropriately called Hansa Creation Portrait's in Nature. It is HANSA's uncompromising integrity in design and quality standards that has charmed collectors for generations and continues to mesmerize new collectors of all ages.