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60-516: Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae ( / s ɪ ˈ j uː r ɪ d eɪ , - d iː / ), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents . The squirrel family includes tree squirrels , ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs , among others), and flying squirrels . Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and were introduced by humans to Australia. The earliest known fossilized squirrels date from

120-614: A hook in order to make it attractive to fish. This is made by wrapping thread tightly around the hook and tying on the desired materials. A fly is sized by the size hook it is tied on. The construction of tube flies is different in that the tier secures materials to a tube rather than to a hook. These flies are rigged by passing the fishing line through the tube before attaching a hook. Generally, fly patterns are considered either "imitations" or "attractors". These can be further broken down into nymphs, terrestrials, dry flies, eggs, scuds, and streamers. Imitations seek to deceive fish through

180-457: A consensus over time. The naming of families is codified by various international bodies using the following suffixes: The taxonomic term familia was first used by French botanist Pierre Magnol in his Prodromus historiae generalis plantarum, in quo familiae plantarum per tabulas disponuntur (1689) where he called the seventy-six groups of plants he recognised in his tables families ( familiae ). The concept of rank at that time

240-446: A family, yet in the realm of plants, these classifications often rely on both the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of plant species. Taxonomists frequently hold varying perspectives on these descriptions, leading to a lack of widespread consensus within the scientific community for extended periods. The continual publication of new data and diverse opinions plays a crucial role in facilitating adjustments and ultimately reaching

300-517: A large stray dog in Lazo, Russia . Squirrel attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, but do occur. Whitaker examined the stomachs of 139 thirteen-lined ground squirrels and found bird flesh in four of the specimens and the remains of a short-tailed shrew in one; Bradley, examining the stomachs of white-tailed antelope squirrels , found at least 10% of his 609 specimens' stomachs contained some type of vertebrate, mostly lizards and rodents. Morgart observed

360-446: A lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild. Some can survive 10 to 20 years in captivity. Premature death may occur when a nest falls from the tree, in which case the mother may abandon her young if their body temperature is not correct. Many such baby squirrels have been rescued and fostered by a professional wildlife rehabilitator until they could be safely returned to the wild, although the density of squirrel populations in many places and

420-612: A near-cosmopolitan distribution. This further supports the hypothesis that the common ancestor of all squirrels, living and fossil, lived in North America, as these three most ancient lineages seem to have radiated from there; if squirrels had originated in Eurasia , for example, one would expect quite ancient lineages in Africa , but African squirrels seem to be of more recent origin. The main group of squirrels can be split into five subfamilies:

480-707: A period of diurnality during the summer. During hot periods, squirrels have been documented to sploot , or lay their stomachs down on cool surfaces. Squirrels, like other rodents, employ species-specific strategies to store food, buffering against periods of scarcity. In temperate regions, squirrels commonly cache nuts beneath leaf litter, inside hollow trees, or underground. However, in subtropical and humid environments, traditional caching can lead to mold growth, decomposition, or premature germination. To counteract these challenges, some squirrels, particularly in subtropical zones, hang nuts or mushrooms on tree branches. This behavior, believed to minimize fungal infections and reduce

540-488: A professional fly dresser living in New York City. In writing of other matters, he enclosed this fly for us to see, saying "A gentleman wanted me to tie up some Coachman for him to take to the north woods and to make them extra strong, so I have tied them with a little band of silk in the middle to prevent the peacock bodies from fraying out. I have also added a tail of the barred feathers of the wood-duck, and I think it makes

600-670: A special class of freshwater-saltwater fly used to catch striped bass in freshwater, inshore and offshore waters. Striped bass flies generally represent small baitfish commonly preyed upon by striped bass. A tube fly is a general tying style of artificial fly. Tube flies differ from traditional artificial flies as they are tied on small diameter tubes, not hooks . Tube flies were originated in Aberdeen, Scotland by fly-dresser Minnie Morawski for Atlantic salmon anglers around 1945. Tube flies were designed to improve hooking success and to prevent damage to complex and expensive salmon flies by

660-462: A very handsome fly." A few evenings later, a circle of us were together "disputing the fly in question", one of the party claiming that numbers were "quite as suitable to designate the flies as so many nonsensical names". The others did not agree with him, but he said: "What can you do? Here is a fly intended to be a Coachman; but it is not the true Coachman; it is quite unlike it and what can you call it?" Mr. L. C. Orvis, brother of Mr. Charles Orvis, who

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720-648: A very large and diverse category of flies as streamers are effective for almost any type of gamefish . Terrestrials are designed to resemble non-aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms and small mammals that could fall prey to feeding fish after being blown or falling onto the water. Bass and panfish flies, bugs and poppers are generally designed to resemble both surface and sub-surface insect, crustacean, baitfish prey consumed by warm-water species such as Largemouth bass or bluegill . This genus of flies generally includes patterns that resemble small mammals, birds, amphibians or reptiles that may fall prey to fish, or in

780-464: A white-tailed antelope squirrel capturing and eating a silky pocket mouse . The living squirrels are divided into five subfamilies , with about 58 genera and some 285 species . The oldest squirrel fossil, Hesperopetes , dates back to the Chadronian (late Eocene , about 40–35 million years ago ) and is similar to modern flying squirrels. A variety of fossil squirrels, from the latest Eocene to

840-434: A wide gap, or diastema . The typical dental formula for sciurids is 1.0.1.3 1.0.1.3 . The purposes of squirrels' tails, to benefit the squirrel, include: The hairs from squirrel tails are prized in fly fishing when tying fishing flies . Squirrel hair is very fine, making it better for tying fishing flies. When the squirrel sits upright, its tail folded up its back may stop predators looking from behind from seeing

900-589: A wide variety of plants, as well as nuts , seeds , conifer cones , fruits , fungi , and green vegetation . Some squirrels, however, also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger. Squirrels have been known to eat small birds , young snakes , and smaller rodents, as well as bird eggs and insects . Some tropical squirrel species have shifted almost entirely to a diet of insects. Squirrels, like pigeons and other fauna, are synanthropes , in that they benefit and thrive from their interaction in human environments. This gradual process of successful interaction

960-676: Is a combination of imitation and attraction involved in fly construction". Paul Schullery in American Fly Fishing – A History (1996) explains however that although much has been written about the imitation theories of fly design, all successful fly patterns must imitate something to the fish, and even a perfect imitation attracts strikes from fish. The huge range of fly patterns documented today for all sorts of target species- trout , salmon , bass and panfish , pike , saltwater, tropical exotics, etc. are not easily categorized as merely imitative , attractors or something else. There

1020-729: Is called synurbanization, wherein squirrels lose their inherent fear of humans in an urban environment. When squirrels were almost completely eradicated during the Industrial Revolution in New York , they were later re-introduced to "entertain and remind" humans of nature. The squirrel blended into the urban environment so efficiently that when synanthropic behavior stops (i.e. people do not leave trash outside during particularly cold winters), they can become aggressive in their search for food. Aggression and predatory behavior has been observed in various species of ground squirrels, in particular

1080-593: Is derived from the following major artificial fly merchants offerings. Dry flies are designed to be buoyant , or land softly on the surface of the water. Dry flies typically represent the adult form of an aquatic or terrestrial insect. Dry flies are generally considered freshwater flies. Wet flies are designed to sink below the surface of the water. Wet flies have been tied in a wide variety of patterns to represent larvae, nymphs, pupa, drowned insects, baitfish and other underwater prey. Wet flies are generally considered freshwater flies. Nymphs are designed to resemble

1140-433: Is no convention or consistency in the naming of artificial flies. Long-standing popular patterns have names that have persisted over time. However, fly designers and amateur or professional fly tyers are free to create any fly they choose and to give it any name they want. Angling writers, the popular angling press, and professional fly tackle dealers have always introduced new patterns with new names. The only naming convention

1200-676: Is not as frequently used); the Norwegian ikorn / ekorn ; the Dutch eekhoorn ; the Swedish ekorre and the Danish egern . A group of squirrels is called a "dray" or a "scurry". Squirrels are generally small animals, ranging in size from the African pygmy squirrel and least pygmy squirrel at 10–14 cm (3.9–5.5 in) in total length and just 12–26 g (0.42–0.92 oz) in weight, to

1260-594: Is that there is no convention. Flies have been named to honor or celebrate fellow anglers: Royal Wulff, Jock Scott, Quill Gordon, Adams; named to describe their color and composition: Ginger Quill, Gold-ribbed Hare's Ear, Partridge and Orange ; named to reflect some regional origin: Bow River Bugger, Tellico nymph, San Juan worm; named to reflect the prey they represent: Golden stone, Blue-wing Olive, Pale Morning Dun, Elk Hair Caddis , White swimming shrimp; named to reflect nothing in particular: Woolly Bugger , Crazy Charlie, Club Sandwich; and, more often than not, named to evoke

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1320-798: The Genera Plantarum of George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker this word ordo was used for what now is given the rank of family. Families serve as valuable units for evolutionary, paleontological, and genetic studies due to their relatively greater stability compared to lower taxonomic levels like genera and species. Fishing flies Artificial flies may be constructed to represent all manner of potential preys to freshwater and saltwater fish , including aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans , worms , spawn , small baitfish , reptiles , amphibians , mammals and even birds . Effective artificial fly patterns are said to be killing flies because of their ability to put fish in

1380-514: The Bhutan giant flying squirrel at up to 1.27 m (4 ft 2 in) in total length, and several marmot species, which can weigh 8 kg (18 lb) or more. Squirrels typically have slender bodies with very long very bushy tails and large eyes. In general, their fur is soft and silky, though much thicker in some species than others. The coat color of squirrels is highly variable between—and often even within—species. In most squirrel species,

1440-619: The Callosciurinae , 60 species mostly found in South East Asia ; the Ratufinae , 4 cat-sized species found in south and southeast Asia ; the Sciurinae , which contains the flying squirrels (Pteromyini) and the tree squirrels , 83 species found worldwide; Sciurillinae , a single South American species; and Xerinae , which includes three tribes of mostly terrestrial squirrels, including

1500-650: The Eocene epoch, and among other living rodent families, the squirrels are most closely related to the mountain beaver and dormice . The word squirrel , first attested in 1327, comes from the Anglo-Norman esquirel which is from the Old French escurel , the reflex of a Latin word sciurus , which was taken from the Ancient Greek word σκίουρος ( skiouros ; from σκία-ουρος ) 'shadow-tailed', referring to

1560-601: The Marmotini ( marmots , chipmunks , prairie dogs , and other Holarctic ground squirrels), Xerini (African and some Eurasian ground squirrels), and Protoxerini (African tree squirrels). Family (biology) Family ( Latin : familia , pl. : familiae ) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy . It is classified between order and genus . A family may be divided into subfamilies , which are intermediate ranks between

1620-489: The Miocene , have not been assigned with certainty to any living lineage. At least some of these probably were variants of the oldest basal "protosquirrels" (in the sense that they lacked the full range of living squirrels' autapomorphies ). The distribution and diversity of such ancient and ancestral forms suggest the squirrels as a group may have originated in North America. Apart from these sometimes little-known fossil forms,

1680-556: The colourists (color matters most). Today, some flies are called attractor patterns because in theory, they do not resemble any specific prey, but instead attract strikes from fish. For instance, Charles Jardine, in his 2008 book Flies, Ties and Techniques, speaks of imitators and attractors, categorizing the Royal Wulff as an attractor and the Elk Hair Caddis as an imitator, whereas "... in sea trout and steelhead fishing there

1740-494: The creel for the fly fisher. There are thousands of artificial fly patterns, many of them with descriptive and often idiosyncratic names. Fly tying is a common practice in fly fishing, considered by many anglers an important part of the fly fishing experience. Many fly fishers tie their own flies, either following patterns in books, natural insect examples, or using their own imagination. The technique involves attaching small pieces of feathers, animal fur, and other materials onto

1800-459: The phylogeny of the living squirrels is fairly straightforward. The three main lineages are the Ratufinae (Oriental giant squirrels), Sciurillinae and all other subfamilies. The Ratufinae contain a mere handful of living species in tropical Asia . The neotropical pygmy squirrel of tropical South America is the sole living member of the Sciurillinae. The third lineage, by far the largest, has

1860-399: The thirteen-lined ground squirrel . For example, Bernard Bailey, a scientist in the 1920s, observed a thirteen-lined ground squirrel preying upon a young chicken . Wistrand reported seeing this same species eating a freshly killed snake . There has also been at least one report of squirrels preying on atypical animals, such as an incident in 2005 where a pack of black squirrels killed and ate

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1920-506: The book's morphological section, where he delved into discussions regarding the vegetative and generative aspects of plants. Subsequently, in French botanical publications, from Michel Adanson 's Familles naturelles des plantes (1763) and until the end of the 19th century, the word famille was used as a French equivalent of the Latin ordo (or ordo naturalis ). In zoology ,

1980-469: The case of panfish flies, small aquatic insects or crustaceans. Pike and musky flies are generally designed to resemble both surface and sub-surface crustacean, baitfish prey consumed by species of the genus Esox such as Northern Pike or Muskellunge . This genus of flies are larger than bass flies and generally includes patterns that resemble baitfish and small mammals, birds, amphibians or reptiles that may fall prey to fish. Although many flies from

2040-408: The characteristic shape of a small mammal. Squirrels live in almost every habitat, from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert , avoiding only the high polar regions and the driest of deserts . They are predominantly herbivorous , subsisting on seeds and nuts, but many will eat insects and even small vertebrates. Many juvenile squirrels die in the first year of life. Adult squirrels can have

2100-435: The constant care required by premature squirrels means that few rehabilitators are willing to spend their time doing this and such animals are routinely euthanized instead. Squirrels mate either once or twice a year and, following a gestation period of three to six weeks, give birth to a number of offspring that varies by species. The young are altricial , being born naked, toothless, and blind. In most species of squirrel,

2160-412: The designer: Copper John nymph (John Barr), Clouser Deep Minnow (Bob Clouser), Brooks' Montana stone (Charles Brooks), Parks' Salmonfly (Merton Parks), Carey Special (Colonel Carey), Dahlberg Diver (Larry Dahlberg) or Dave's Hopper (Dave Whitlock). The well-known trout fly Coachman was originated by Tom Bosworth, who drove Queen Victoria 's coach The Royal Coachman was first made by John Haily,

2220-466: The early 19th century, the term artificial fly was being routinely used in angling literature much like this representative quote from Thomas Best's A Concise Treatise on the Art of Angling (1807) to refer to all types of flies used by fly fishers. The art of artificial fly-fishing, certainly has the pre-eminence over the other various methods that are used to take fishes in the art of angling. Although

2280-530: The family as a rank intermediate between order and genus was introduced by Pierre André Latreille in his Précis des caractères génériques des insectes, disposés dans un ordre naturel (1796). He used families (some of them were not named) in some but not in all his orders of "insects" (which then included all arthropods ). In nineteenth-century works such as the Prodromus of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and

2340-491: The female alone looks after the young, which are weaned at six to ten weeks and become sexually mature by the end of their first year. In general, the ground-dwelling squirrel species are social, often living in well-developed colonies, while the tree-dwelling species are more solitary. Ground squirrels and tree squirrels are usually either diurnal or crepuscular , while the flying squirrels tend to be nocturnal —except for lactating flying squirrels and their young, which have

2400-421: The fish by the angler. As aquatic insects such as Mayflies , Caddisflies and Stoneflies were the primary prey being imitated during the early developmental years of fly fishing, there were always differing schools of thought on how closely a fly needed to imitate the fish's prey. In the mid to late 19th century, those schools of thought, at least for trout fishing were: the formalists (imitation matters) and

2460-409: The fish which they are intended to capture for flies; but the number used, the way in which they are mounted, viz., several on one trace, and the method of their progress through the water, rather leads me to the belief that they are mistaken for a number of small fry, and treated accordingly. A major concept in the sport of fly fishing is that the fly imitates some form of fish prey when presented to

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2520-431: The hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs, while all species have either four or five toes on each foot. The feet, which include an often poorly developed thumb , have soft pads on the undersides and versatile, sturdy claws for grasping and climbing . Tree squirrels , unlike most mammals, can descend a tree headfirst. They do so by rotating their ankles 180 degrees, enabling the hind feet to point backward and thus grip

2580-499: The immature form of aquatic insects and small crustaceans . Nymph flies are generally considered freshwater flies. Emergers are designed to resemble the not quite mature hatching aquatic insect as it leaving the water to become an adult insect. Emergers are generally considered freshwater trout flies. Streamers are designed to resemble some form of baitfish or other large aquatic prey. Streamer flies may be patterned after both freshwater and saltwater prey species. Streamer flies are

2640-534: The last 200 years as writers, fly tiers and fishing equipment retailers expound and promote new ideas and techniques. Additionally, as the popularity of fly fishing expanded globally to new and exotic target species, new flies and genera of flies came into being. There are many subtypes in some of these categories especially as they apply to trout flies. As well, any given pattern of artificial fly might well fit into multiple categories depending on its intended use. The following categorization with illustrative examples

2700-556: The lifelike imitation of insects on which the fish may feed. Imitations do not always have to be precisely realistic in appearance; they may derive their lifelike qualities when their fur or feathers are immersed in water and allowed to move in the current. Attractors, which are often brightly colored, seek to draw a strike by arousing an aggression response in the fish. Famous attractors are the Stimulator and Royal Wulff flies. The first literary reference to flies and fishing with flies

2760-502: The long bushy tail which many of its members have. Sciurus is also the name of one of its genuses. The native Old English word for the squirrel, ācweorna , only survived into Middle English (as aquerne ) before being replaced. The Old English word is of Common Germanic origin, cognates of which are still used in other Germanic languages , including the German Eichhörnchen (diminutive of Eichhorn , which

2820-495: The mortise-tenon joint in carpentry. Because squirrels cannot digest cellulose , they must rely on foods rich in protein , carbohydrates , and fats . In temperate regions, early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels because the nuts they buried are beginning to sprout (and thus are no longer available to eat), while many of the usual food sources are not yet available. During these times, squirrels rely heavily on tree buds. Squirrels, being primarily herbivores , eat

2880-573: The most significant departures from traditional freshwater designs in many years. Salmon flies are a traditional class of flies tied specifically to fly fish for Atlantic Salmon . Some salmon flies may be classified as lures while others may be classified as dry flies, such as the bomber. Salmon flies are also tied in classic and contemporary patterns. Steelhead and Pacific salmon flies are designed for catching anadromous steelhead trout and pacific salmon in western North American and Great Lakes rivers. Egg flies are all designed to resemble

2940-491: The ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae , but that family is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". The delineation of what constitutes a family— or whether a described family should be acknowledged— is established and decided upon by active taxonomists . There are not strict regulations for outlining or acknowledging

3000-413: The risk of food loss, also inadvertently aids certain trees, like Cyclobalanopsis , in expanding their range, with forgotten or dislodged nuts sprouting in new locations, influencing forest ecology. Two species of flying squirrel, the particolored flying squirrel and Hainan flying squirrel aid such cacheing by carving grooves into the nuts to fix the nuts tightly between small intersecting twigs, akin to

3060-411: The spawn of other fish that may be encountered in a river and consumed by the target species. Flesh flies are designed to resemble the rotting flesh of pacific salmon encountered in a river and consumed by the target species. Saltwater flies are a class of flies designed to represent a wide variety of inshore, offshore and estuarial saltwater baitfish, crustacean and other saltwater prey. Most of

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3120-456: The standard trout repertoire can be successfully used to tempt various species of carp , particularly the common carp , a number of traditional patterns have been modified to make them more appealing to carp. One example would be Barry's Carp Fly, which resembles the familiar thorax-plus-tapered-abdomen structure of many nymphs, albeit in an enlarged and bushier format. Some flies have been designed specifically to target carp, usually to imitate

3180-548: The term Artificial fly came in Izaac Walton's The Compleat Angler (1653), Oh my good Master, this morning walk has been spent to my great pleasure and wonder: but I pray, when shall I have your direction how to make Artificial flyes, like to those that the Trout loves best? The 1652 4th edition of John Dennys 's The Secrets of Angling , first published in 1613, contains the first known illustration of an artificial fly. By

3240-467: The term fly was a reference to an imitation of some flying insect, by the mid-19th century the term fly was being applied to a far greater range of imitation. The term fly is applied by sea fishermen to a certain arrangement of feathers, wax, etc., which I am about to describe the manufacture of, and which may be used with considerable success in mackerel, basse, and pollack fishing. I am not disposed to think, however, that such baits are ever mistaken by

3300-577: The time you see a pattern it will be represent a shrimp, crab, baitfish, or a combination of them. Saltwater flies generally are found in both sub-surface and surface patterns. Bonefish flies are a special class of saltwater flies used to catch bonefish in shallow water. Bonefish flies generally resemble small crabs, shrimp or other crustaceans. Tarpon flies are a special class of saltwater flies used to catch tarpon in both inshore and offshore waters. Tarpon flies generally represent small baitfish commonly preyed upon by tarpon. Striped bass flies are

3360-444: The tree bark from the opposite direction. As their large eyes indicate, squirrels have excellent vision , which is especially important for the tree-dwelling species. Many also have a good sense of touch , with vibrissae on their limbs as well as their heads. The teeth of sciurids follow the typical rodent pattern, with large incisors (for gnawing) that grow throughout life, and cheek teeth (for grinding) that are set back behind

3420-500: The various vegetative sources of food that omnivorous carp feed on such as berries, seeds, and flowers that may fall into the water. This small niche of the fly fishing / fly tying world began to grow dramatically in size and legitimacy around 2010 as a hitherto underground movement started to go mainstream in the United States , leading to numerous innovations. Several of those, like the family of so-called "headstand" flies, represent

3480-455: Was in Ælian's Natural History probably written about 200 A.D. That work discussed a Macedonian fly. The Treatyse on Fysshynge with an Angle was published (1496) within The Boke of St. Albans attributed to Dame Juliana Berners . The book contains, along with instructions on rod, line and hook making, dressings for different flies to use at different times of the year. Probably the first use of

3540-480: Was not yet settled, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera , which is far from how the term is used today. In his work Philosophia Botanica published in 1751, Carl Linnaeus employed the term familia to categorize significant plant groups such as trees , herbs , ferns , palms , and so on. Notably, he restricted the use of this term solely within

3600-688: Was present said: "Oh that is easy enough; call it the Royal Coachman it is so finely dressed!" And this name in time came to be known and used by all who are familiar with the fly. When Lee Wulff first designed the Royal Wulff , based on contemporary Catskill patterns, he'd intended to name it "Bucktail Coachman," referencing the bucktail wings he'd added for better flotation. Fellow fisherman and conservationist Dan Bailey insisted that he call them "Wulffs" and began tying them under that name. The categorization of artificial flies has evolved considerably in

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