Short answers, pulled from the story.
The word squirrel originates from the Ancient Greek word sciouros, which combines skia for shade and oura for tail. This term survived through Old French and Anglo-Norman before settling into Middle English as early as 1327.
A tree squirrel descends a tree headfirst by rotating its hind ankles 180 degrees to point the feet backward and grip the bark from the opposite direction. This unique ability allows them to navigate complex arboreal environments with speed and agility that predators struggle to match.
When faced with starvation, some squirrel species eat small birds, young snakes, smaller rodents, bird eggs, and insects. Studies by Whitaker and Bradley found that a significant percentage of ground squirrel stomachs contained vertebrate remains, including lizards and rodents.
The squirrel family originated in North America, as the three most ancient lineages seem to have radiated from there. The oldest squirrel fossil, Hesperopetes, dates back to the Chadronian, approximately 40 to 35 million years ago.
Adult squirrels live 5 to 10 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. Many juvenile squirrels die in the first year of life, and premature death can occur when a nest falls from the tree.