Twiggy the water-skiing squirrel sends crowd nuts

Talented rodent is towed around by a remote-controlled toy powerboat

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Making a splash: Twiggy the squirrel shows off her skills at the Family Fun Zone in St. Joseph, Michigan

You might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can certainly teach a squirrel how to water-ski, as these remarkable pictures show.
Twiggy the squirrel sent the crowd nuts at the Family Fun Zone in St. Joseph, Michigan yesterday az she displayed her amazing aquatic skills.
The talented rodent stands on a specially made skis holding a miniature cable as her owner tows her around the pool with a remote-controlled toy powerboat.

Off you go: Twiggy's owner Lou Ann Best, places the talented rodent on her specially made skis before towing her behind a remote controlled boat

Keen to promote a message of safety to the youngsters in the audience, Twiggy never ventures into the water without her custom-made miniature life vest.
There have in fact been four Twiggys over the years. The original was rescued as a baby by Chuck and Lou Best of Florida in 1978 after it was blown from its nest during a hurricane.
The idea to teach her to water ski began as a joke after Mr Best bought his daughter, Lalainia, a remote-control boat.

Keen to promote a message of safety Twiggy never ventures into the water without her custom-made miniature life vest

When his friends accused him of having bought it for himself he replied: 'I have to learn to drive the boat so I can teach my squirrel to water-ski.'
Twiggy has now achieved celebrity status and currently tours the U.S, drawing large crowds wherever she goes.
She has appeared in two films, 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story' and 'Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy.'

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2384261/Waterskiing-squirrel.html
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Does my head look big in this? Squirrel's hunt for peanuts in unusually shaped feeder

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Big headed: The adorable little squirrel was too busy searching the inside of this feeder to notice anything else

Yes, your head does look big in that. Not that this squirrel minded a bit, he was busy chomping away at the peanuts and peanut butter stored inside this unusually shaped feeder.
John Horne, who runs a nature reserve in Southampton, installed the feeder for the resident squirrels, sat back, and waited for the laughs.
Sure enough, a curious squirrel soon braved the hollowed out vinyl head to find the feast inside, giving John and his wife Alison the giggles as they watched his antics.

Intrigued: The grey squirrel discovers the hidden gems inside the feeder shaped like a squirrel's head

When the squirrel stumbled across the novel feeder, it spent 15 minutes helping himself to the stash of treats inside it. Other animals, including a couple of robins, tried to access the snacks but were unsuccessful.
The hanging feeder was installed in the Secret Garden Nature Reserve in Southampton, run by John Horne, and his wife Alison, who set up the feeder and filled it with peanuts.
Before long the feeder had three regular visitors who were only too happy to accept the treats inside - while proving a source of amusement for John and Alison.

What are you looking at: Although the squirrel was pleased with his treasures inside the feeder the outside has a menacing grin

John, 67, from Southampton, said: "The squirrel was a bit wary of the feeder at first, but he soon realised there were peanuts inside and began poking his head in to get them.'
'It was really funny and looked very unusual to see a squirrel eating nuts from inside the huge head.
'This novel feeder seems to make it much easier for the squirrels to access the peanuts.
'A pair of robins had tried to get to the peanuts but they couldn't manage to.'
The Southampton-based nature reserve is of national importance as it is home to a very rare colony of lesser glow-worms.

source: dailymail

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Yikes! Video captures squirrel's hilarious reaction as he realizes he's being stalked by a hungry leopard

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Just minding my own business: Footage shows the squirrel enjoying a treat one afternoon

A squirrel in the African wild was munching on a treat when he realized his was the object of a desire of A leopard on the prowl.
The tiny target flashed a look of fear and dropped his loot to make a run for it.
The confrontation was caught on video and the squirrel's 'Yikes!' moment is entertaining audiences the world over.

Forget this: The squirrel decides to drop his treat and scram

The incident occurred in the Kalahari desert in the southwest corner of Africa and was included in the first episode of a BBC One program on the African wildlife that aired in the UK on January 2.
Broadcaster David Attenborough narrated the episode and added a dramatic description to the chilling scene.

Predator: The leopard had its eye on the tiny prey but the squirrel made his escape

'Water is in short supply, yet these deserts are somehow full of life because the creatures that live here have turned the rules of survival on their head. This film celebrates nature's ingenuity, no matter how tough it gets,' according to a description of the program.
It appeared that the squirrel's quick response secured his escape and the leopard was forced to find his dinner elsewhere.

Outta here: The squirrel made a run for it



source: dailymail

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Saturday Nut Fever: Meet Tony, the red squirrel whose moves are putting John Travolta to shame

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Jazz hands: The cheeky chappy appears to be showing off for the camera

A shimmying squirrel shows off his best moves as he dances for his dinner
Wildlife photographer Lillian King snapped the greedy critter as he stretched out his arms during feeding time at the British Wildlife Centre near Lingfield, Surrey.
The red squirrel, named Anthony by staff, balances carefully on a branch while throwing his paws in the air with energetic moves similar to Tony Manero, played by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

Staying alive: The nimble red squirrel could give Saturday Night Fever star John Travolta a run for his money

Lillian, a retired receptionist of Godalming, Surrey, said: 'He was so cute.
'I've seen him do it a few times before and I had to take some pictures of him.
'There are around twenty squirrels in a conservation project at the centre.
'The squirrels are fed by workers and there's a big bag of hazelnuts which this little guy goes crazy for.

Throwing shapes: The red squirrel appears to be taking his 'dancing' very seriously

'But this squirrel is the centre of attention, he stretches his hands and dances up and down the branches so he gets fed first.
'It's as if he doesn't want any of the others to get any, so he manoeuvres himself in wonderful ways so he doesn't miss out on feeding time.
'He's so lively, the squirrels are very popular at the centre but he does his best to stand out.'

source: dailymail

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Not such a ginger nut: Red squirrel goes blonde... and no one knows why

By ANNA EDWARDS

Blondes do have more fun! Punky the red squirrel shows off his bright blonde tufts

With his bright blonde mohawk, this red squirrel is certainly no shrinking violet.
Punky the squirrel has become a popular attraction for tourists hoping to spot his unusual hairstyle.
The cheeky rodent, named Punky, was spotted raiding a feeder in a forest near Killhope, County Durham and stands out from the crowd with blonde spiky tufts sprouting from both ears.

Tourists prefer blondes: Punky has become a hit in the County Durham park with his streaks of luminous blonde

Punky, whose 'hairstyle' bears a resemblance to Prodigy frontman Keith Flint's, is a favourite in the woodland around Killhope Lead Mining Museum after being spotted by members of staff and visitors.
Tina Raynor, Commerical Services Officer at Killhope Museum, said she believed Punky may have been visiting the forest for up to five years but is believed to have had a drastic image change in recent months.

What on earth? A surprised-looking young red squirrel admires Punky's glossy mane

She said: 'We get regular sightings of the squirrels. They are a real draw for people to the museum..
'Punky wasn't always punk - we think he is around five years old.
'I've found some pictures from a few years ago which we think are of him, when his tufts weren't noticeably blonde
'In his pre-punk days, he was probably listening to ELO and Queen!
'But he seems to be starting his punk look now, he's a cute little thing.

Where's the hair dye? The young red squirrel looks deep in thought as Punky laps up the attention

'We have a feeding programme for the red squirrels and we do worry greys may penetrate the colony, but we're keeping a close eye on the situation with a monitoring programme.'
The red squirrel population at Killhope are the last unmixed colony in County Durham, as much of reds are being driven out by grey squirrels.
The red squirrel is native to Britain, but its future is increasingly uncertain as the introduced American grey squirrel expands its range across the mainland.

We've seen that look before: Punky looks like he has copied Keith Flint's famous hair style

There are estimated to be only 140,000 red squirrels left in Britain, with over 2.5 million greys.
The Forestry Commission is working with partners in projects across Britain to develop a long-term conservation strategy that deters greys and encourages reds.

source: dailymail

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Cha cha chipmunks: Squirrels get into the Strictly Come Dancing spirit and show off their moves

By ANNA EDWARDS

Will you lead? The pair appear to 'hold hands' as they dance around on the ground

As Victoria Pendleton and Denise Van Outen strut their stuff on the new series of of Strictly Come Dancing, it would seem that everyone wants to hit the dancefloor.
And these chipmunks are no exception.
The dancing duo have been caught on camera getting into the swing of things after Mel Gray spotted them showing off their moves.

Cheek to cheek! These two playful chipmunks were captured at a camp site in the Etosha National Park, Namibia

In one shot the chipmunks dance around each other, while in another they 'hold hands' as they twirl around.
And one picture even appears to show the pair cheek to cheek in a tango like move.
Ms Gray, from New South Wales, Australia, captured the incredible sight at a camp site in the Etosha National Park, Namibia.
She said the animals had burrows around the campsite and would often come out to entertain visitors.

Taking a twirl! The pair whirled around and clocked up some points from their audience

She added: 'The pictures show the animals playing.
'They were running around, chasing one another, wrestling, rolling over, pinning each other down.
'And they were rearing up on their hind legs, seemingly like in a dance.
'They move very quickly and they're quite hilarious. I haven't seen anything like this before.
'It was great to be so close up and to capture them in this way.
'It was all over pretty quickly but the act was repeated if you hung around long enough.

These two light-footed creatures caused a delight when they were spotted strutting their stuff

'It's just play so it's completely harmless and neither was hurt.'
Ms Gray, a professor of Social Work at Newcastle University, Australia, added: 'I love the excitement of wildlife photography.
'I love the unexpected and the predictable as well as the sheer enjoyment of being close to nature and the beautiful creatures that inhabit our planet.'
Chipmunks are small, striped squirrels while the tree squirrel is larger and doesn't have stripes.
The ground squirrel has body stripes like chipmunks, but no head stripes.
A tree squirrel is larger, has a longer tail and no stripes.

source: dailymail

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I’m ready for my close-up! Inquisitive red squirrel investigates photographer’s camera

By PHIL VINTER

Say nuts: This red squirrel stares straight at the camera after it is snapped by photographer Alan Wennington at a car park in Ponteland, Northumberland

Looking bright-eyed and bushy tailed this inquisitive little squirrel pulls off the perfect 'startled' look for a lucky photographer.
With its ears poking upwards and mouth wide open the furry forest dweller appears to be captivated by the camera as it perches on a log in Ponteland, Northumberland.
The striking image was taken by photographer Alan Wennington who has developed a close affinity with the animals during a series of close encounters.

Furry focus: This cheeky red squirrel developed a keen interest in Mr Wennington's camera equipment as it stared at its reflection in the display

However, on his latest meeting with the red squirrels Mr Wennington had a nervous few minutes when one of the beautifully-coloured creatures decided to take a closer look at his kit worth more than £1,000.
The incident happened after the photorapher had placed his gear on a tree stump in a carpark.
The young squirrel then crept up and peered at its reflection in the camera’s LCD screen before gripping the lens and biting the strap.

Mr Wennington watched on nervously as the squirrel nibbled at his camera gear worth more than £1,000

Mr Wennington feared his equipment would be damaged as he sat in his car a few yards away taking photographs with another camera.
But he reluctantly stayed put because he did not want to scare the squirrel, which regularly approaches visitors for food.
He said this red squirrel, which was born last spring, was following in the paw steps of its parent who had adopted the dramatic 'startled' pose for Mr Wennington on a previous visit.

Mr Wennington said he had developed a close relationship with the squirrels over the course of several visits and decided to let nature take its course with his kit, fortunately it was not damaged

He added: 'There were at least three youngsters born this year and they are not nervous at all.
'They know they get fed by visitors and know its feeding time when they see a car parked in the immediate vicinity.
'However, they aren’t keen on sharing food with each other and if more than one of them visits at the same time it usually ends up in a playful chase.'

source: dailymail

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It's a sabre-tooth SQUIRREL! Rodent faces daily chore to eat because of bizarre curly tooth

By SARA MALM

Food challenge: The squirrel struggles to nibble at the awkwardly shaped corn cob due to her tooth growing out of her mouth

A big cob of corn would be a challenge for any squirrel – but this little creature’s sabre tooth is making it even harder.
These are the adorable pictures of the squirrel struggling to eat its inner in a garden in Missouri.
To overcome the issue she had to paw the food in rather than biting away.
The cute squirrel was snapped by amateur photographer Bill Tiepelman who noticed her after she started making regular visits to his garden.
The clever creature will not let her tooth get between her and her food and uses her paws to prevent the food Bill leaves out for her from falling out of her mouth.

Clever girl: The little squirrel has adapted to her dental issue and uses her paws to hold her food in her mouth

Web developer Mr Tiepelman said he first noticed the squirrel because she moves much slower than her friends.
He has been photographing her for months and says he has noticed that the tooth gets in her way.
‘The tooth is so big that she even has trouble climbing trees - she has to take very slow, deliberate movements so she doesn't poke herself in the eye with it.

Careful climber: The squirrel has to move slower than her friends so she doesn't hurt herself with her big tooth

‘It's very weird to watch - I leave food out for the squirrels to eat, and I've seen her holding the food in one side of her mouth.
'Her struggle is inspiring too - as even with the deficit, the squirrel has learned to manage with it and overcome!’

Sabre-ing fact: Wonky teeth growing outside of the mouth is not uncommon in squirrels

source: dailymail

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Stuck in squirr-hell: Rodent left feeling drained after getting its head lodged in a man-hole cover

By LEON WATSON

A squirrel stuck in a manhole cover on a street in Isernhagen, Germany. The squirrel had to be rescued by the police and recovered

This little squirrel bit off more than he could chew.
Stuck fast in a storm drain in a small town in Germany, the critter looked like he'd become road kill when his body refused to follow his head through the hole.
Police in the town of Isernhagen were called out by a worried motorist who phoned in to report the stuck-up rodent after he narrowly avoided running over him.
Police tried to free him by pulling, but without success.
Then one of them prised up the drain cover and pushed while his colleague pulled, but again without a result.

Finally a housewife came out with a bottle of olive oil and the officers smeared it around the squirrel's neck and body. After another 15 minutes of tugging he was freed.
'We wanted to take him to a vet's for a check-up,' said one of the officers. 'But he was having none of it. He legged it straight away into a garden and up a tree, which is where he belongs I suppose.'

source: dailymail

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That’s one to keep dry: Squirrel keeps his dinner safe from the rain with his very own umbrella

Staying dry: The cheeky rodent has got the hang of using the little ladybird umbrella holding it over the birds seed tray to keep them dry

A cheeky squirrel found a novelty way of keeping his food dry: he used an umbrella.
The rodent couldn’t believe his luck when he got his paws on a tiny umbrella left out for the birds to keep their food dry and he quickly put it above his head to keep him and the birdseeds dry.
Unabashed he then went on to eat the seeds left out for the birds in a Hampshire garden whilst the rain poured down.
Bird lover Jane Roberts, 39, had put the child's umbrella over the birds seed tray to help their food dry.

Jane from Fareham, Hampshire said: 'The bird seed soon goes mouldy in the rain so I try to keep it as dry as I can so I thought a small umbrella would be ideal.
‘But no sooner had I put it up the squirrels were using it to keep themselves and their nuts dry and frightening off the birds'

source: dailymail

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Incredible images show Southern flying squirrel leaping 150-feet through night sky

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Soar: A southern flying squirrel, pictured, becomes more bird than mammal as it stretches out its body into a natural glider

It might look nuts but this tiny squirrel thinks nothing of making incredible 150-foot leaps through the trees.
As these amazing pictures show the southern flying squirrel becomes more bird than mammal as it stretches out its body into a natural glider.
Despite being nocturnal, the cute critter was caught on camera by British photographer Kim Taylor making its nighttime jumps.
Mr Taylor used a clever combination of a 150mm camera lens and a special 3,500 volt high-speed flash triggered by an infra red beam to capture the images.
Southern flying squirrels are lightweight at just 65g feed mostly on insects, nuts and acorns.

Snap: British photographer Kim Taylor captured the cute animals making their nighttime jumps

'These animals are strictly nocturnal and live in tree holes, such as disused woodpecker holes,' said Mr Taylor, 79, who runs his own studio called Warren Photographic, in Guildford, England.
'They feed mainly on nuts and acorns and glide from tree to tree on stretched skin flaps, each time losing height while gliding and gaining height by climbing the next tree.'

Jump: The tiny squirrels leap up to 150-feet through the trees

The animal in the photos was kept in a large flight arena, provided with a high nest box in which it lived.
At dusk it emerged from its nest and glided down to one of several tree trunks placed in the arena, and then climbed upwards to reach a feeding platform.
An infra red beam was placed across the likely flight path of the squirrel, so that, when the beam was crossed, the squirrel took its own photo.
Special high speed flash units, working on 3500 volts, were used to light the subject. A multi-flash system was sometimes used to produce three images in quick succession.
A medium format film camera with 150 mm lens was used for the photos.
It was left overnight, occasionally resulting in more than one photo per night. Several weeks of work were necessary to achieve the series of shots.

Superman: The cute critter launches itself into the air from a tree branch

Caught: Mr Taylor captures a sequence of the southern flying squirrel landing, taken at 50 millisecond intervals

Nocturnal: The adorable squirrel only glides by night

Jump: Southern flying squirrels, pictured, are lightweight and eat mostly insects, nuts and acorns

Flying: Mr Taylor used a 150mm camera lens and a 3,500 volt high-speed flash to capture the shots

source: dailymail

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That's a nutty way to carry the kids around! Mummy squirrel uses her mouth to transport kittens to new home

By LAWRENCE CONWAY

Bushy: The red squirrel bounds along a garden fence in Canada with a baby in its mouth after deciding it no longer wanted to live in the old birdhouse where it had first set up home

A squirrel took drastic action to protect her offspring after deciding that her human neighbours were getting too close for comfort.
The red squirrel had set up home inside an old birdhouse in the back garden of a home in the Canadian city of Winnipeg.
But the presence of the homeowner Ken Yuel, 57, in the garden saw the cute bushy tailed scrambler decide to move on.
Mr Yuel, an amateur photographer, was gardening at the time and rushed inside to grab his camera when he saw the squirrel on the move.
He said: 'I noticed that a red squirrel had chewed the entrance to a small birdhouse I had built, she then moved in and had her babies.

Instinct: The helpless squirrel baby with its barely open eyes can be seen curled up in its mother's jaw as she transports it to a new home

Dash: With its helpless offspring firmly in its jaw this red squirrel transports a young family member to a new home after deciding a move was in order

Maneuver: The agile red squirrel hangs upside down from the old birdhouse with a baby in her mouth after deciding she wanted to move on

'Well the mother didn't like me working around her new home as I did yard work, so she decided it was time to move.
'I was able to watch and capture the mother squirrel as she fought to remove each of the seven babies.'

Grasp: The red squirrel expertly grabs its helpless offspring in its jaw before bounding off along a garden fence and setting up a new home

The red squirrel moved the babies one at a time, running along the fence into Mr Yuel's next door neighbour's garden.
Each time she jumped onto the neighbour's shed and pushed the baby through a hole above the door.
He said: 'It took the mother squirrel about 30 minutes to move all the babies.
'I was amazed to see that seven babies were housed inside, each time the mother removed one I thought there can't be anymore left but she would return and get another one.
'When I processed the photos I knew I had a couple good shots that were not likely to be captured again by anyone for a long time.'

Determined: The squirrel can be seen with a baby in her mouth squeezing out of the hole in the birdhouse that she had chewed out before giving birth

source: dailymail

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These kittens are NUTS about their newest sibling! Orphaned squirrel Bushytail finds new home with litter of newborn cats (and mother Oreo even nurses

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

New family: A set of kittens and their mother have taken to an orphaned squirrel like he is one of them in Bay County's Bangor Township, Michigan after Bailee Schultz, 8 heard the squirrel whimpering weeks ago

Though by nature, they’re predator and prey, a set of kittens and their mother have taken to an orphaned squirrel like he is one of them.
The squirrel was discovered by eight-year-old Bailee Schultz, who heard the squirrel whimpering a few weeks ago in a wooded area of his grandparents' property in Bay County's Bangor Township, Michigan.
Grandmother Stephanie Box told MLive.com Bailee brought her to the squirrel, which was under a nest and less than a week old.
After rescuing the squirrel by picking him up in a coffee can, Ms Box said she placed the squirrel they call Bushytail with her cat, Oreo, who recently gave birth to five kittens. The next day, Ms Box says the squirrel was nursing side-by-side with the kittens. They've also seen Oreo groom Bushytail, though they say she is a little leery of how Oreo feels about the rodent.

Best friends: The boy told his grandmother Stephanie Box about the squirrel named Bushytail on her property and she placed it with her cat, Oreo, who recently gave birth to five kittens

Ms Box says Oreo may not have fully accepted the squirrel, however, since she once moved the kittens but left Bushytail behind.
They want Oreo to keep an eye on Bushytail for a while, but said they’ll give the squirrel all due freedom when he’s old enough.
‘He’ll be free as any of the cats,’ Norwell Box told MLive.com.
‘We’ll try to feed him to keep him around, if we can,’ Ms Box added.

source: dailymail

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One peanut butter smoothie please: Squirrel tucks into his favourite treat - but only after spending hours learning how to use a straw

By RYAN KISIEL

Success! The rodent manages to figure out how to use the straw to get a taste of the specially-made drink

A straw poll held in any back garden would suggest that when it comes to problem solving, you can’t beat a grey squirrel.
And this bright and bushy-tailed customer proved it, by rapidly learning how to drink a peanut-butter smoothie from a deep glass.
The resourceful rodent initially stood on tiptoes but could manage only to take the top off the tempting drink. Within two hours, however, he was merrily sucking through the plastic straw provided.

What a smoothie: This grey squirrel goes mad for Allison Carrick's peanut flavoured smoothie

Smells good: The squirrel seems to be inspecting the drink by taking a whiff before giving it a go

Getting closer: The squirrel almost gets his mouth up to the straw

Watching admiringly through her kitchen window in Stubbington, Hampshire, was 30-year-old Alison Carrick.
She had initially put the smoothie mixture in a dish, which the squirrel lapped up, but decided to test his intelligence.
She said: ‘My four-year-old daughter Hannah loves watching the squirrels. And at least this keeps them off the bird table.’

Thirsty: The squirrel decides to forgo the straw and drink straight out of the glass

source: dailymail

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