A group of squirrels is called a dray or a scurry. They are very territorial and will fight to the death to defend their area.

There are more than 200 species of squirrels, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), and they are categorized into three types: tree squirrels, ground squirrels and flying squirrels.

Many people think that squirrels only eat nuts, but this isn't true. Squirrels eat a wide variety of plants, as well as seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, and green vegetation. Some squirrels also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger. Squirrels have been known to eat small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents, as well as bird eggs and insects.

The Gray Squirrel stocks its winter pantry by burying up to 10,000 nuts each fall.

A squirrel may use its tail as a shield when fighting, as a blanket in cold weather, and, sometimes, as an umbrella during rain storms.

Terminal velocity is the fastest that an object will ever fall, no matter what height it is dropped from. Squirrels (unlike most other mammals) can survive impacts at their terminal velocity. Which means no matter what height you drop a squirrel from, it will probably survive.

Some squirrels collect old rattlesnake skin, chew it up and then lick their fur, creating a kind of "rattlesnake perfume" that makes them less attractive to predators.

The Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) is the world's largest known squirrel. It grows to 36 inches (1 meter) long and weighs up to 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms).

Squirrels are rodents, and one characteristic of rodents is that their teeth continue to grow throughout their lives. Squirrels need to chew on hard objects to help keep their teeth at the proper length. These amazing teeth align perfectly, and both top and bottom teeth wear away perpetually at the same rate.

When squirrels feel threatened, they run away in a zigzag pattern. This is an incredibly useful strategy to escape hawks and other predators. Unfortunately, it doesn't work so well on cars.