Have you ever thought about the structure of squirrel teeth? Have you ever thought ‘are squirrel teeth a lot like human teeth?’ If you think so, then you click the correct link.
Squirrels are rodents, with this fact of course they rely on the strength of their teeth to break the skin or the outer layer of their food. Nuts generally have both thick and thin skin, opening the beans will be easier if you use their teeth and front legs.
In fact, squirrel has two large milk teeth in front like milk teeth in rabbits. These two milk teeth are usually textured larger and longer than the other teeth. Squirrel has at least 21 teeth in their mouth. The most and strong tooth structure is a tree squirrel species. This is also a form of their life defense considering that living on a tree is a hard life.
Talk about milk teeth, milk teeth in squirrel is slightly different from milk teeth in rabbit. If rabbit has milk teeth only on their teeth, squirrel has two pairs of milk teeth located at the bottom and top of their teeth. The upper one tends to be flat, but it stretches while the lower one is more pointed, like human canines. Although the prominent part is a pair of milk teeth at the top and bottom, the other squirrel teeth tend to be thin and small in shape. Other squirrel teeth such as cat teeth, there are but small and almost invisible.
Interestingly, squirrel doesn’t just use their teeth to eat. There are times when outside of eating activity where squirrel really heavily on their teeth. Here are some facts about squirrel teeth.
The bodies of squirrels are very small and their natural predators are often larger than they are. One of their predators might be human who break the tree where the tree is their home. As a mean of personal protection, squirrel often use their teeth to attack their enemies. Although their teeth don’t emit poisons like snakes, their sharp and long tooth structures can tear the flesh of their predators. If you might be bitten by a squirrel, be aware of that. It could be a squirrel that bit you infected with rabies and spread the virus to you.
Squirrels have amazingly fine control of their teeth and use them to probe new and unfamiliar objects. They can sense texture, hardness, density, and even temperature with their teeth. They may have a nose, but to help them identify an object they rely on their teeth. Not that their sense of touch is in the teeth, but to know whether or not an object is hard, squirrel use their teeth.
Like other rodents, squirrel teeth will continue to grow as long as they live. Although in some rodents such as hamsters while they are biting makes their teeth to don’t grow longer, can’t be sure that this biting activity also has the same effect on squirrels.
In winter, squirrels will store their food in the nest they make. Uniquely, these foods where it grains are not stored as a whole. Squirrels will process their food first as it destroys it into smaller grains and then starts storing it. To destroy the seeds, of course they use their teeth. In addition to destroying their food reserves, these teeth are also used to build their nest. As we know, squirrels build their nests using twigs and leaves to keep the temperature in their nests warm. To break the twigs and arrange them, squirrel also use their teeth.
For some animals, the appearance of their teeth may be frightening. Some are pointed, some are flat, some are jagged, and maybe some don’t have teeth. Whatever the shape of the teeth and whatever the function of the teeth other than to eat, the teeth are part of their body that can’t be separated.
To digest food, all living things need teeth. But the process of digestion of food may not need teeth. Teeth are only a means to destroy food to make it easier for the body to digest. Uniquely, teeth can also be used as weapons. Biting, pulling, and tearing are the uses of sharp and pointed teeth. Flat teeth may only be an additional component to smooth food.
Talk about teeth, teeth are part of bone. As we know, bones will not be destroyed even though our other body parts have been destroyed maybe when the individual died. Teeth can also be problematic if we don’t treat and clean them properly. From the description above, we know the other functions of squirrel teeth. Yes, squirrels are a form of sophistication of creatures that can function their teeth with several different functions. It is unique, but it is also scary for some people.