#native animal

Elephant Shrews are more closely related to elephants than to shrews. To chill out in their territory, they dig holes, tiny caves, or construct leafy nests. They use their nose to hunt!

Grey Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Aka. Dzo'kda:gö, o'kda:gö, mishánneke, adjidamò,

Grey squirrels are rodents native to eastern North America. It has been introduced to Europe where it has become invasive. They're scatter-hoarders, storing food in various places around their territory. This has made them important in the spreading of seeds. They've been documented using deceptive behavior while stashing food, tricking potential thieves. Squirrels build nests, called dreys, in trees and buildings. Sometimes they share these with other squirrels. They eat a wide range of foods including nuts, buds, flowers, seeds, fungi, fruit, vegetables, insects, small animals, eggs and more. Squirrels are food for many creatures, including humans.

Eastern grey squirrels are often melenistic, especially in the northern part of thier range. Many towns and schools have a black squirrel mascot. Kent State even has a Black Squirrel Festival.

Some of the natives of the Southeast US see squirrels as caretakers of the forest. The Haudenosaunee learned to harvest maple syrup from squirrels. They also have a squirrel clan. The Wabanaki have the squirrel, Miko, once a large, fierce predator who was turned into the animal we know today by Glooscap. The Choctaw believed solar eclipses were caused by black squirrels.

🐿Sources

Wikipedia Eastern Grey Squirrel

Wikipedia Black Squirrel

Patch.com Maple Sugaring Legend-The Iroquois and the Fiesty Red Squirrel

Mikew the Squirrel

Native American Squirrel Mythology

Eclipse of the Sun Blamed on Black Squirrel

Algonquin animal words