Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide.SQUIRRELS: The Animal Answer Guide RICHARD W. THORINGTON JR. AND KATIE FERRELL Squirrels are probably the rodents most familiar and best tolerated--or even beloved--by people in many countries. They're among the most-recognized mammals The class Mammalia (the Mammals) is divided into two subclasses based on reproductive techniques: egg laying mammals (the Monotremes); and mammals which give live birth. The latter subclass is divided into two infraclasses: pouched mammals (the marsupials); and the placental mammals. , with more than 278 species living on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Thorington, curator of mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History For the museum in Manhattan, see . This article is about the museum in Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see National Museum of Natural History (disambiguation). The National Museum of Natural History , and his research assistant Ferrell reveal the hidden lives of these often-watched animals. They explain the aerobatics aerobatics Sport of performing maneuvers such as rolls, loops, stalls, spins, and dives with an airplane. As an organized sport, rather than as an air show attraction (“stunt flying”), aerobatics began international competition in 1960 under the auspices of the of flying squirrels flying squirrel, name for certain nocturnal tree squirrels adapted for gliding; they do not actually fly. Most are found in Asia, but one species of the genus Pteromys extends into SE Europe and the two species of Glaucomys are found in North America. , the variations in squirrel-coat colors, the techniques with which squirrels avoid predators, and squirrels' success in surviving in a multitude of environments. The authors even explain why so many squirrels are hit by cars. Thorington and Ferrell detail the enduring relationship between squirrels and people, as revealed by the squirrels in literature and mythology. The book includes more than 100 photographs and an appendix outlining the many species of squirrels. Johns Hopkins Noun 1. Johns Hopkins - United States financier and philanthropist who left money to found the university and hospital that bear his name in Baltimore (1795-1873) Hopkins 2. , 2006, 183 p., b&w photos, color plates, paperback, $24.95. |
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