The Family Sciuridae includes squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and flying squirrels, encompassing small to medium-sized rodents found worldwide except in Australia and Antarctica. Members of this family typically have robust bodies, bushy tails, and strong claws for climbing and digging. They are primarily herbivorous, feeding on seeds, nuts, fruits, and sometimes insects, and are known for behaviors like food caching. Sciurids are highly adaptable, occupying forests, grasslands, and urban environments, and they play important ecological roles as seed dispersers and as prey for many predators.