Squirrels in Japan

This afternoon I had to double check whether or not squirrels are indigenous to Japan.

My curiousity was stirred by as impressive a display of unbridled enthusiasm as I can recall witnessing. The tableaux unfolded before me in Princes Street Gardens, as I sat upon a bench in the chill November sun and watched a couple of tourists ambling along. I assumed they were Japanese, judging from their chatter, attire, and plethora of cameras but I could have been mistaken. They appeared to be a couple anyway, husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend. Their ambling came to a sudden stop when a squirrel skittered to a halt in front of them. I can offer no particular insight into the mind of the squirrel other than to remark that it seemed typical of it's species, all bushy tail and tightly coiled nervous energy. Despite being - to my eye at least - a squirrel of no particular distinguishing features, it elicited a shriek of excitement from the woman. This immediately caused the squirrel to rapidly retreat to a safe distance, where it seemed entranced by the woman, now literally bouncing up and down with excitement. Camera's were duly unpacked, and thus began a game of cat and mouse - or rather squirrel and tourist - as she tried to get close enough to snap a picture of the little creature. It was quite fun to watch although I lost track of them after a few minutes when the squirrel seemed to lose interest and darted off into the distance, tourists in tow.

I don't remember ever having seen such an extreme reaction to a squirrel before. I'm sure I reacted in a vaguely similar manner when I first saw a chipmunk (I still have the photograph I took to prove it), but in that case I can at least argue that chipmunks aren't native to these shores. Squirrels in Japan, on the other hand, I had no early idea about. However, a quick delve through the internet when I returned home revealed that yes, they can be found roaming on those shores. I'd cite some links, but I couldn't find a definitive resource for information on Japanese squirrels. There are some pictures of them to be found over here, though.

Not the most practical fact I'll ever learn...