Local Celebrities

Hello again!

As many of you are aware, Penn State’s University Park Campus has an extremely high squirrel population. That’s just how things are around here. But have you ever caught a glimpse of an… extra special squirrel here on campus? (I know what you’re thinking, “all squirrels are special!” Well, no. This is a super extra special squirrel) That’s right folks, I am referring to Penn State’s favorite rodent, Sneezy the Squirrel! (I once again know what you’re thinking, what the heck is Sneezy the Squirrel?) Don’t worry, you’re not alone there. Even being the avid squirrel lover that I am, I had not heard of Sneezy until extremely recently. Sneezy the Squirrel is a middle-aged grey squirrel right here on campus who has become quite the sensation. She even has her own Facebook page! But what makes Sneezy so special? What makes her more exciting than all of the other squirrels? Well, let’s just say she’s got some serious style… and a human friend who is significantly more squirrel-crazy than I am.

Sneezy’s fame can be singly attributed to a girl named Mary Krupa, who graduated from Penn State this past year. According to an article from Onward State, Sneezy is identifiable to Mary due to a red tuft of hair on her tail, and Mary is identifiable to Sneezy because she always feeds her peanuts. Good trade off, right? But the fun doesn’t stop there. Not only does Mary feed Sneezy, but she also dresses her up! Isn’t that crazy? Whenever I get even relatively close to a squirrel is spazzes out and darts away, yet when Ms. Krupa (also known as the squirrel whisperer here on campus) approaches the fluffy things, they engage her affectionately. I offer them food, just like she does! She must be lacing those peanuts with something… anyways, Mary has hand-crafted a wide assortment of hats, blouses, and other props for her favorite squirrel to pose with. I’ll be sure to include some of my favorite shots for your personal enjoyment.

 

As I mentioned earlier, Sneezy herself does indeed have a Facebook page that I of course encourage you all to like! But, because I know that realistically none of you will (I don’t blame you, it’s not personal, really,) I will relay Sneezy’s page information here instead. Some of Sneezy’s noteworthy accomplishments include “Fluffiest Tail,” “Friendliest Squirrel in State College,” and “Expert Nut-Collector.” Impressive, isn’t it? But wait, there’s more! Sneezy’s favorite activities include eating, hiding nuts, chasing away other squirrels, grooming herself, wearing hats, and making other people happy. Those are some of my favorite hobbies too, Sneezy.

So there you have it! A little insight into Penn State’s most stylish and well-known squirrel. If you yourself are considering finding a special squirrel of your own here on campus, I have a few tips. 1. Make a Facebook/twitter account for it. 2. Give it a cool name. 3. Create articles of clothing for it. Not hats though, that’s overdone, if you know what I mean. 4. Keep an infinite stash of unsalted nuts for your new BFF.

You don’t necessarily have to do those things in that order, obviously.

 

Can I Have One?

Believe it or not, writing a 500 word blog just about squirrels every week is starting to become challenging. You see, I haven’t really had any notable squirrel encounters, and although I do admire them from a far everyday here on campus, I truly have no desire to be that super creepy girl who chases after their fluffy tails once they cross my path or who stops dead in my tracks to watch them devour a nut. And, despite my adoration for them, I think my reasoning is legitimate. Following your heart is one thing, but adhering to social norms takes precedence at times.

 

So I’m sure some of you are wondering (just kidding, you probably weren’t wondering this) why I don’t just get a squirrel as a pet. If I had a pet squirrel I would be able to admire it all the time in the comfort of my own home, away from the judging eyes of society. Well, sorry to shoot down your original idea but it isn’t original whatsoever. Trust me, I have looked into getting a pet squirrel quite thoroughly, at let me tell you, it is quite the task. Although I still consider getting one at some point in the future, once I am an adult with my own home and responsibilities, until then I will justify not getting one through the publication of this week’s blog. That’s right, I am going to give you all of glimpse of what one must do to have a pet squirrel.

 

For starters, squirrels are wild animals. Although they may seen docile while being offered a handful of nuts in the park, having them in your home is a completely different story. Squirrels are accustomed to the outdoors and wide open spaces, not metal cages in a household.

 

Squirrels also have very sharp claws and teeth. Their tiny claws are more than capable of drawing blood, and their teeth are not only sharp, but also grow continuously, necessitating frequent chewing in order to keep them at a reasonable length. This brings us to another major issue with pet squirrels– they are extremely destructive. Squirrels can and will chew on anything. Cables, furniture, shoes, you name it, they’ll try to chew it. With this being said, they must be under supervision at all times, even if you are only heading to the grocery store for a few hours or area going out for the evening.

 

In addition, squirrels have extremely specific diets. They need massive amounts of calcium to stay healthy (nutritionists generally suggest deer antlers for all your squirrel dietary needs) accompanied by an assortment of insects and various outdoor nuts and seeds. Not only is their diet expensive, but is also very difficult to recreate in such a controlled environment, often resulting in domesticated squirrel deaths.

 

So, as you can see, owning a pet squirrel is not all fun and games. Yes, they certainly do possess some good qualities as pets. They are extremely affectionate and are little bundles of energy. But, overall, just as I explained before, squirrels are wild animals. As much as I know all of you were considering trapping a University Park squirrel, keeping it in your dorm and claiming it as your own, you may want to think twice.

 

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A Lesson in Squirrels

Hi again!

So, before I get too deep into my squirrel blog, I have a confession to make… although I absolutely adore squirrels in every way possible, I honestly don’t know all that much about them. By “don’t know all that much about them,” I mean that I am unfamiliar with their genetic background and the various species of squirrels. So, this post will not only be a learning experience for you, but for me too! I would like to tell you all a little bit about what I found while conducting some squirrel research.

Well, I guess I’ll start with the basics, so in case you didn’t know, squirrels are rodents. More specifically, they are part of the Sciuridae family, along with chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs. There are actually 200 species of squirrels all around the world (except for Australia, where no squirrels dwell. That’s extremely unfortunate, Australia). But only 5 species of squirrels live right here in the lovely United States of America. What are those species you may ask? Well calm down, I’m about to tell you.

 

Up first, the dashing grey squirrel! These are the little guys you’ll often see scampering around University Park. Grey squirrels originally only inhabited the eastern United States, thus being known as the eastern grey squirrel. However, these sly fluffy fiends have become an invasive species in both the western United States (forcing the creation of the western grey squirrel) and Europe. Another fun fact about grey squirrels is that although the color ‘grey’ is in their names, they also can come in fun shades of brown, black, and red!

Next, make some noise for the red squirrel! Red squirrels live in the northern United States and prefer colder climates. They are indeed tree squirrels like the grey squirrel, but they prefer pine forests and are much smaller than their grey brothers. In fact, they are only about half the size of a grey squirrel. Red squirrels do have red hair year-round, however it becomes much more vibrant in the summer months. In addition, red squirrels grow tufts of hair on their ears for the winter season. Isn’t that neat?

Now, let’s talk a bit about the fox squirrel. I personally have never even heard of a fox squirrel, but that is probably because they live in all regions of the United States except the east coast. Fox squirrels are the largest specie of squirrel and can grow to be between 17 and 27 inches. Fox squirrels will either be dark brown/black or beige/tan in color.

Coming up now is the ground squirrel! These things are adorable. They live in the southwestern United States and are the tiniest specie of squirrel and often dig holes in prairies to create their homes. However, some types of ground squirrels also inhabit mountainous regions. Fun fact, they are also able to growl!

Last, but certainly not least, is the mysterious flying squirrel. There are two types of flying squirrels in the United States, the southern flying squirrel and the northern flying squirrel. Of the two, the northern flying squirrel is larger. Evidently flying squirrels outnumber grey squirrels in the United States. But, they are nocturnal which makes them very difficult for us humans to observe.

Well, there’s your squirrel lesson for today! Please, use this information wisely.

A Squirrel Story

“What’s your favorite color?”

Rainbow?

“What’s your favorite food?”

Um… either cheese, or chocolate, or maybe ice cream. I don’t know!

“Who’s your favorite celebrity?”

I can’t even name any celebrities.

“What’s your favorite animal?”

SQUIRRELS.

 

There aren’t many things I am sure about, but one of them happens to be that I adore squirrels. Why? Now that area becomes a bit clouded. It may be their uber fluffy tails, or possibly the way they spastically dart into the streets, making their secret death wishes known to all drivers. But when it comes down to it, they’re just funny, adorable little creatures, and their overlooked presence is something that few have come to appreciate. So to help spread the cheer produced by these fluffy rodents, I am creating this blog for all to read. But before I get too carried away here, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce the crazy person behind the squirrel blog—yours truly.

I grew up in a rural region of Eastern Pennsylvania, not too far from the city of Allentown. One would think that where a rural area exists, squirrels must also be present. However, this unfortunately is just not the case. With this being said, my love for squirrels was not something I possessed from birth. Instead, I filled my childhood years learning to play both the violin and piano, cultivating my cupcake baking skills, and picking petty fights with my older brother (shout out to John Veiszlemlein, who is also a student here at Penn State). It was not until around the age of seven or eight that I began creating a bond with the Pennsylvania squirrel population. You see, my grandparents used to babysit my brother and I every day. We would spend countless hours at their house, a small townhouse on the outskirts of a tiny town called Bath, Pennsylvania. My grandparents had a closed-in glass porch that looked out onto a grassy, green lawn. Two crab apple trees grew on either side of the path leading to the porch, and countless bird feeders were scattered among the property. It was a very serene image to take in, accompanied by the sound of the neighbor’s lawn mower and my grandmother’s polka CD quietly playing in the background. Moments at my grandparents’ house would all be very peaceful, with only one exception…

“GET THOSE DAMN SQUIRRELS OFF THE BIRD FEEDER!”

That’s right. I couldn’t get through even one visit at my grandparent’s house without hearing that phrase recited by either my grandmother or grandfather. Squirrels just weren’t very welcomed visitors at their household, and their sheer presence angered them to the point that a BB gun was often threatened to be aimed out the porch window. But as my grandparents ferociously complained about the furry nuisances, young little me couldn’t help but to think that the squirrels were absolutely adorable. Even as a seven year old I was an advocate for pro-life… er, squirrel life, that is.

Until next time my friends!