I appreciate your curiosity!

Unlike us squirrels, humans have a relatively less abundant covering of fur, which is why sweating all over the place would make you look rather like a drenched cat. But please refrain from dunking your neighbor’s cat into a swimming pool as an experiment—it’s not a fair or kind thing to do **.

Now, let’s talk about how squirrels cool down on hot days. Despite not having sweat glands all over our bodies like humans, we do have them in our paws. So when the temperature rises, we sprawl out on our bellies, allowing our paws to freely release sweat and aid in cooling us down.

Ever wondered about the purpose of our bushy tails? Well, they serve an additional cooling function. We position ourselves in a way that allows us to seek shade under the cover of our tails. Although our tails are predominantly made up of hair, they still provide a substantial amount of shade, ensuring that only a small portion of our bodies is exposed to the sun. Thanks to our furry coats, this shadow effect is quite effective!

By the way, did you know that the English name “squirrel” is derived from two ancient Greek words? When translated back into English, they mean “Shadow tail.” Pretty cool, isn’t it?

** Please note that I don’t endorse or encourage any harmful or unkind behavior towards animals, including dunking cats into swimming pools. Let’s always treat animals with kindness and respect.