Teeth: 22 teeth. Incisors feature a hard layer of enamel that keeps teeth sharp. All food is bitten or shredded with incisors, and molars are use to grind the food.
Eyes: Squirrels eyes are positioned to allow them to see to the front, sides and from above without moving their heads. Studies show that squirrels probably do not identify or react to differences in color. Instead, their vision uses differences in brightness to separate objects or notice details.
Ears: Squirrels have an acute sense of sound although it is not their primary source of information gathering.
Sense of Smell: This is highly developed in squirrels and is very important to finding food. Through their sense of smell, squirrels can detect which nuts that have been invaded by insects. They will consume such nuts, but the do not hoard them in caches. Scent is also important in identifying and marking territory.
Fur: For adults, fur is molted twice a year, during the spring and fall. Molting is the loss of hair cover. Hair on the tail and ears may only molt once a year. Variations in fur color are present among most squirrel types.
Tail: A squirrel uses it’s tail for shade, protection from the elements, balance, warmth, and communication. The tail can also assist while jumping through the air by acting as a parachute. The underside coloration and pattern can be used to age a squirrel. Black stripes are present in juveniles and not in adults.