Why does a squirrel have a bushy tail?

Have you ever watched a squirrel run up a tree? Its tail looks like a big fluffy feather duster. Swish, swish, it waves behind the squirrel as it goes.

That tail is so big and soft. It is almost as long as the squirrel's whole body. Why does a squirrel have such a bushy tail? Let's find out together.

A squirrel lives high up in the trees. It runs along the branches to find nuts and seeds to eat. Many of those branches are thin, as thin as your finger. The ground is far below them.

A thin branch wobbles when the squirrel runs on it. Wobble, wobble! The squirrel could tip over and fall. What do you think the squirrel does with its tail now?

When its body tips one way, the squirrel swings its tail the other way. That helps it keep its balance, which means staying steady without tipping over. Your arms help you the same way when you walk along a line. Now the squirrel can run along the wobbly branch.

Squirrels jump from one tree to the next, too. That way they get to more food without climbing all the way down. Climbing down and up again would take a long time. They leap across the gap with their legs stretched wide.

Up in the air, there is no branch to hold on to. So the squirrel swishes its tail to keep its balance, and its body does not tumble. Its front feet reach for the next branch. Then it lands safely on the other side.

Let's remember one word: balance. A squirrel swings its bushy tail to keep its balance on branches and in the air.

Next time you see a squirrel in a tree, watch its bushy tail. Now you know how it helps!