SQUIRREL FAMILY Cooperation

When people think “Squirrel”, they generally think of the tree-dwelling variety. Squirrels, however, come in three main groups–Tree Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, and Flying Squirrels. The defining characteristic of a Squirrel, a Squirrel is their bushy tail. Their family name Sciuridae means “shade-tailed”.

Tree Squirrels have the bushiest tails. Tree Squirrels use their tails for balancing and steering when They jump from branch to branch. Active during the day, Tree Squirrels chase each other through the trees, look for nuts, and work on their nests (dreys). They bury nuts and seeds in the ground for future use. Any nuts one Tree Squirrel does not eat, another Tree Squirrel will eat.

Ground Squirrels include Chipmunks, Prairie Dogs and Marmots. Ground Squirrels rarely climb trees. Instead, They often live in colonies in a complex system of burrows. A Prairie Dog town contains thousand of residents living in sleeping quarters, with their own nurseries and latrines. Extremely adaptable, Ground Squirrels will live near people.

The third kind of Squirrel is Flying Squirrel, who glides through the air using a flap of skin between his front and rear limbs. Pushing off from a tree branch, He stretches out his arms and legs and glides to another branch. Unlike other Squirrels, Flying Squirrels is active at night.

Squirrel Family teaches cooperation. Some forms of Squirrel cooperation are obvious such as building a Prairie Dog town. Tree Squirrels warn other Squirrels of approaching enemies. A more subtler form is Tree Squirrels burying nuts not only for Themselves but also for other Squirrels. Squirrels cooperate with each other in a variety of ways. Learn how to cooperate with others from Squirrel Family.

Hero Rats aka Rats Helping People: APOPO

Blossom, HeroRAT (adoptable)

Most of us do not consider rats to be heroes but pests.  However, to one group of people, they sniff out land mines and TB.  APOPO, a registered Belgian NGO works in Africa to save lives in multiple ways through African giant pouched rats.

Here is what they do: from their website:

Training HeroRATs

Learn how we transform African giant pouched rats into life-saving heroes.

Mine action

Discover APOPO's solution to the global landmine problem.

Tuberculosis detection

Find out how our rats are helping to increase TB case detection rates for our partner hospitals.

Read more at their website and consider adopting a HeroRAT!

 Adopt-a-Rat

Invocation to the Squirrel Muses

Invocation to the Squirrel Muses

Lay out several nuts (acorns or hickory or walnuts, etc.) in your writing space.  Then speak out-loud:

Welcome Fellow Squirrels into my space!

Let’s play, My Squirrel Friends!

Planting ideas, chasing words, jumping from topic to topic, inventing new wonders of

writing!

Flicking our tails in constant motion, we “chee” at the world, while we

Build nests out of words,

Create snug homes for

Ideas, phrases, sentences,

High in the trees of thought.

Let’s play, My Squirrel Friends!

Who wants some nuts?

Chase you up the tree of words!

Squirrels: My Writing Muse

Whenever I am blocked in my writing, I watch squirrels.  I see them bouncing from tree to tree or chasing each other. At other times, one squirrel will dig up a nut that another had just buried.  Once I witnessed a lone squirrel sneaking up on a curbside vendor to steal a nut-bar from her truck. Before the hapless vendor could react, this crafty squirrel leapt off the countertop and scampered off with its prize.

            Squirrels inspire me with their activity. Rarely staying still in one place, they leap from one tree branch, grab another limb, and then jump to the ground. This reminds me of my free writing, when I jump from topic to topic. Working with my squirrel muses, I seldom know where they will take me in my writing or where I will finally end up.

            Another thing that squirrels do is to bury nuts and forget them. Some of these nuts grow into oak trees, while other nuts are dug up for food by different squirrels. In several forms, these buried nuts provide food for the squirrels.  Like the squirrels, I stash writing topics in a notebook. Sometimes, I add scraps of information to flesh out the topics. At other times, I mull over one topic until it emerges as a full grown essay. Like burying nuts, my habit of stashing topics and bits of information provide me with food for thought.

            The inventiveness of squirrels is legendary. They foil the most determined attempts by ardent bird watchers to keep the squirrels from raiding birdfeeders. When I am stuck in my writing, I ask myself, “What if I was a squirrel…” I usually find an off-the-wall answer to my writing issue. In these ways, squirrels guide me in my writing.

MOUNTAIN “BEAVER” (SEWELLEL): Luck

Immature Mountain "Beaver", USGS

 Unlike many other prehistoric Animals, Mountain “Beaver” (Aplodontia rufa) is still with us.  She is neither a Beaver nor an inhabitant of the mountains; instead Mountain “Beaver” is the most primitive Rodent alive today.  In the Eocene epoch (about 44 million years ago), Her Family had split off from the Squirrel Family.  Since then, She lived in regions of North America that were moist with cool winters.

            Now found only the Pacific Northwest (where She has lived for nearly two million years), Mountain “Beaver” comes into conflict with people, since She eats their ornamental trees.  With her long claws, Mountain “Beaver” digs an extensive system of burrows for sleeping during the day.  Then at night, She ventures out to eat sword and bracken ferns, and to gnaw at the bark of trees for the green layer underneath.  Much of the time, people do not know that Mountain “Beaver” is there until She chews on their shrubs.

            What is remarkable about Mountain “Beaver” is that She has been on the earth for longer than forty million years.  (Most species only exist for one to ten million years.)  She has even survived the Eocene-Oligocene extinction event (Grande Coupure), which happened 33 million years ago. Nobody knows how or why Mountain “Beaver” survived for so long.  She has primitive kidneys and teeth, and does not do anything particularly well.  Therefore, many people believe that her continued survival is because of her good luck.

            The longevity of Mountain “Beaver” highlights the different kinds of luck.  Some luck is “dumb luck” that happens at random.  Other luck comes with the family or inherited by the individual.  The best sort of luck comes when we help others and they help us.  The kind of luck that Mountain “Beaver” has is the luck of persistence.  As long as She perseveres, Mountain “Beaver” will continue to be lucky.

            We can learn how luck occurs through Mountain “Beaver”.  Though She does bring bad luck to the unfortunate homeowner, many people do not even know that She lives on their property.  Usually, her burrowing helps to keep the soil healthy, so that homeowners can grow more beautiful plants.  Watch Mountain “Beaver” carefully, and She may show you her secret for being lucky.  Mountain “Beaver” creates her luck, and we can also by being proactive in our lives.

Porcupine (New and Old World): Listen to Warnings

PORCUPINE: Listen to Warnings

“Don’t stand too near a Porcupine!”, people warn. “For, if you do, you will be shot with barbed quills.” Contrary to popular belief, Porcupine does not throw her quills. Instead, She shakes her tail at her attacker. Meanwhile, African Porcupine runs backwards into his attacker. This small waddling Rodent goes through life undisturbed by most animals.

Although, They look similar, the two Families of Porcupines (New World and Old World) are not closely related. African Porcupine has fur intermingled with his quills. Meanwhile, American Porcupine uses her tail quills to secure Herself to her tree.

Porcupine of America readily climbs trees. If there is danger on the ground, She will den in a tree. However, Mother Porcupine will leave her baby (Porcupette) in a nearby cave or rock den, safe until She returns for Him. Meanwhile Porcupette practices climbing and exploring until his Mother returns. (Unusual for Mammals, Mother Porcupine sends her grown Daughters away but allows her Sons to stay.)

Although African Porcupine cannot climb trees, He lives in a small underground colony with his relatives. Since his quills are hollow, African Porcupine can swim across the water easily buoyed up by them. Because He can ably defend Himself, Africans consider his quills to be good luck charms.

Carrying his quills around, Porcupine goes through life undisturbed. When He is upset, Porcupine will click his teeth and hiss. After Porcupine stamps her feet, most Animals leave Her alone. The ones that persist, get a nose full of quills. Heed a warning no matter how subtle teaches Porcupine.

Wisdom of Porcupine Includes:
Renew Your Sense of Wonder
Innocence
Self-Defense

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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2009

From Universal Class, fun self-paced classes taught by me:

Finding Your Animal Teachers

Animals For Everyone: Mammals

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The Chinchilla

The Chinchilla

by Sayhada

A member of the rodent family, the chinchilla has big eyes, round ears and thick silky fur. Because of their beautiful fur they are captured and bred by the fur industry. It takes over a hundred chinchillas to make one fur coat. Unfortunately supply and demand could lead to its extinction.

Chinchillas have a persistent undying curiosity and will explore every nook and cranny of their surroundings. The like sitting high up as if to observe the world below. Once they feel an area is safe for them to enter they explore it with a sense of adventure and innocence. Their observation skills are acute. They instinctively know when to act and when to retreat. Chinchillas teach us the importance of timing. Those with this medicine intuitively know the right time to act and the right course of action to take, although caution is advised not to become too analytical. Balancing observation skills with a sense of innocence is an important lesson.

Naturally robust and hardy the chinchilla has an extremely sensitive yet effective digestive system which is designed to extract the most out of its food. It does not have a vomit mechanism like other animals and is unable to expel bad food out of its system. This serves as a warning to those with this totem. Good nutrition, a proper diet as well as physical exercise is a necessity for optimum health. Difficulty in eliminating toxins from the body can lead to many health problems.

The chinchillas predominate form of communication is the variety of sounds it makes. Each sound relays a specific message. When upset it chatters its teeth, when nervous it lets out a shrill squeal, when agitated or alarmed a sequence of loud high cries is heard. If it is hungry it will make a rasp like snarl. It knows how to use its voice to convey a message and teaches us the art of efficient communication.

The chinchilla is an important messenger that demands respect. It requires us to heed its advice. If we choose to listen it will serve us well. If we don't honor its message it will scamper away and find someone else to help. When it appears in your life ask yourself the following questions.

Do you need to apply more discernment in your life to avoid chaotic situations? Are you using your observation skills to help you reach your goals? Do you take the joy out of an experience by over analyzing it? Does the wonder and magic of life still excite you? Does your health need attention? Do you communicate effectively with others?Although the chinchilla holds a variety of messages one thing is certain. When it appears in your life something is out of balance that needs to be corrected immediately.