Eurasian red squirrel with toadstool

© Edwin Giesbers/Minden Picture

Feeling squirrely?. Squirrel Appreciation Day

What's that long, bushy tail scurrying across the branches? Chances are, it's a squirrel. These little rodents are found across most of the globe, and today is their special day: Squirrel Appreciation Day. This unofficial holiday was started by a North Carolina wildlife rehabilitator to encourage people to leave out seeds and nuts for these critters. From the tiny least pygmy squirrel—just 14 centimetres long—to the Bhutan giant flying squirrel at more than a metre, these mammals come in all shapes and sizes.

Today's image features a Eurasian red squirrel, photographed in the Netherlands. The red squirrel can be found across Europe and Russia, from western Spain and Portugal all the way to eastern Siberia. Their diet mainly consists of nuts, fungi, seeds and berries, but they will occasionally eat birds' eggs. In addition to being the national mammal of Denmark, they also play a part in old Norse mythology. Ratatoskr is a red squirrel who scurries up and down Yggdrasil, the sacred tree, carrying messages and spreading gossip. So, next time you spot a red squirrel, it could just be a furry little messenger!