They depend on the hind limbs to lift the body to move forward on a flat surface. While placing the forelimbs on the front, it lifts the hind limbs to lift and move forward the body, while it repositions the forelimbs ahead to repeat the movement cycle.
While it has to climb, the forelimbs or the leading limbs receive the sensory input and guide to move the hind limbs to use the necessary force to climb. In the third photo above the hind limb is placed on the edge of the feeding table and squirrel lifts the body forward with the forelimbs assisting this process.
The leading limbs while feeding are the forelimbs.
As its body is horizontally designed and the ventral surface is in contact with the surface over which it moves, the four limbs do all the functions to give it strength during movements.
The jumping that squirrels are used to between branches or trees are also limb dependent. They land with the limbs and stabilise the body on the surface as it lands.
The acrobatic flair the squirrels have during the movements is graceful to watch. It has a few near miss falls, but manages to escape them by dexterous corrective movement.
The squirrels are scavengers of the environment and are therefore are often moving around in all gardens!
Most squirrels are co-feeders at the feeding table in our garden.
That makes the garden a hospitable place!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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