And now it's time for Who Smarted?
Hey there, smarty pants.
We here at Who Smarted? spend a lot of time working in the big city.
It's an exciting and fun place to be.
Hey, yo, get out of the road.
Go narrate somewheres else.
Sorry.
Between all the cars trucks buses, delivery guys on scooters construction, emergency vehicles, and you get it.
The city can be a little noisy and overcrowded, which is why I like to grab a slice of pizza for lunch and head on over to the park.
Much better.
I'm just going to find a park bench away from the people and enjoy the peace and tranquility.
Hi there.
Uh, hi.
What you got there?
Nothing much.
Just a little lunch.
Ooh, looks like you got yourself a big old slice of pizza.
Maybe.
Are you going to eat all that crust?
Maybe you'd like to share some of it with your cute little new best friend.
And who would that be?
Me.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize we were friends.
Are you kidding?
I'm a squirrel.
I'm everybody's friend.
The name's Cecily.
What you got for me?
I really don't think I should be feeding squirrels.
Oh, a little pizza crust won't hurt.
Come on, what you say?
Everybody loves feeding the squirrels.
Oh, yeah?
Tell them what you really are.
Huh?
Who is that?
Oh, that?
No one important.
So, about that pizza crust.
I'm telling you, she ain't who you think she is.
Smarty Pants, that strange voice is coming from an overflowing garbage can at the end of the path.
What do you suppose is speaking to us?
I'm telling you, don't worry about him.
Why?
Because I remind you of me?
You and me, we's a lot alike, you see.
What?
Don't be silly.
Oh, now I see where that other voice is coming from.
Smarty Pants, did you guess?
It's similar in size to a squirrel, but it's not a squirrel.
Why, it's a rat.
That's right.
Their name's Ratso, and I'm a rat.
But guess what?
So is she.
Hey, I'm not a rat.
I'm a squirrel.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
But as far as I'm concerned, you're nothing but a beady-eyed tree-hugging, not hoarding fuzzy-tailed rat.
You take that back.
I will not.
Now, Raider, what do you say?
I say you're not very nice, Rat.
But you might have a point.
Smarty Pants, what do you think?
Are squirrels just rats with fuzzy tails?
Or are they something else?
What makes them such good climbers?
And is it a good idea to feed them?
Of course it is.
We'll see.
It's time for another whiff of Science and History on... Who's Smarted?
Who's Smarted?
Who's smart?
Is it you?
Is it me?
Is it science or history?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smart?
Smartypants.
Whenever you're sitting in a park or walking through the woods, there's certain animals that you get used to seeing.
Birds, chipmunks, and of course, squirrels.
Perhaps you'd like to watch them, or maybe you want to feed them.
And we'll get to whether that's a good idea later.
But one thing you definitely shouldn't do is touch them.
Of course, the same goes for any wild animal.
But if you're like most people, you kind of enjoy having squirrels around.
They're cute.
They're playful.
They seem like harmless friends.
But what if you see a rat?
Look out!
It's a rat!
Run!
Run!
So why do most people find squirrels adorable and rats repulsive?
It ain't tough to figure out, trusty.
We looks the same, except for our tails.
Squirrels have cute, big, bushy tails, while my tail looks like an ugly whip.
Hold on.
We're a lot more different than that, for one thing.
You don't have people skills.
Huh, like begging for scraps?
I ain't down with that.
I know where to find the goods on my own.
You would too if you acted like your family.
My family?
That's right.
Your mother was a rat, your father was a rat, and so are you.
Face it, that fuzzy tail ain't fooling nobody.
So let's get to the sewers where you belong.
Hold on, hold on.
Let's get to the bottom of this.
Smarty Pants, true or false, rats and squirrels are part of the same family.
I say true.
I say false.
But only because I really want it to be false.
What is it?
The answer is false.
While both rats and squirrels are rodents, that means they belong to the same scientific order, not family.
Evolutionarily speaking, their families split tens of millions of years ago.
So they're related, but more like cousins, not brothers and sisters.
I knew it.
Oh, the family, same difference.
Bunch of sciencey gobbly gook.
Face it, squirrel, you're a rodent, just like a rat.
Besides the bushy tail, we ain't much different.
Um, is that true, trusty?
Smarty pants, do you think squirrels are much different than rats?
I say it's time we game show this thing.
Hello, everyone.
It's time for your new favorite game show, Rat vs. Squirrel.
Please welcome your host, the trusty narrator.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Here's how to play this game, smarty pants.
I'll either ask a question or make a statement and you shout out squirrel, rat, or both.
But answer quickly because the rat and squirrel will be buzzing in with answers too.
Okay, ready?
Let's go.
First question, which are typically larger, adult squirrels or rats?
Rats.
Nope, squirrels tend to be a bit larger.
Next, which animal is active during the day?
That's easy, squirrels.
Correct.
Rats are nocturnal, meaning they're active at night.
Rats often surprise people in the dark.
Just one reason why they're not particularly well-liked.
I can't help it if people are such scaredy cats.
Next.
This rodent usually eats whatever it can find.
Meats, cereals, fruits, you name it.
It might even raid your garbage or kitchen.
That would be rats.
We'll go anywhere for a good meal.
That's right.
It's another reason why rats don't get much love.
They're often found digging in the trash.
While squirrels also eat a variety of foods, they tend to get their meals from wooded areas and parks.
Their favorite foods are nuts, fruits, seeds, and insects.
And to prepare for winter, we bury food to dig up later.
Our sense of smell is so good, we can find snacks under a foot of snow.
But we don't dig up all the food we bury and because of that some of our stored nuts, like acorns, end up growing into big, beautiful trees.
Which are great for the environment.
Big whoop.
Rats hide our food, too.
You remember seeing that subway rat carrying away an entire pizza slice?
I mean, who needs nuts and berries when you can have pepperoni?
And you ain't gonna have trouble finding that in the winter.
Personally, I can't begrudge any animal that likes pizza.
Okay, next question.
Which animal has top and bottom teeth that never stop growing?
Um, both of us?
Correct.
All rodents, like rats squirrels, chipmunks and mice, have teeth that grow throughout their lifetimes.
That's how the teeth stay sharp, even with all the gnawing these creatures do.
In fact, the word rodent comes from a Latin word meaning to gnaw.
I knew that.
Who doesn't?
And both squirrels and rats are known to be pretty smart, too.
Okay, next question.
Which animal often cleans itself?
Squirrels, of course.
Rats are filthy.
Ooh, the answer is actually both.
Take that, squirrel.
While squirrels are known to be some of the cleanest rodents, rats actually aren't that dirty.
In fact, they clean themselves more thoroughly than cats do.
I am not a fan of cats.
Me neither.
And dogs aren't any better.
That's because cats and dogs chase both of you.
Next question.
Which rodent can carry and spread disease?
Squirrels.
The answer is coming up right after this quick break.
Now back to Who Smarted?
Okay, the question was, which animal can carry and spread disease?
Rats.
Squirrels.
I'm sorry, but the answer is both.
Both?
While rats are better-known disease spreaders, squirrels can carry some dangerous illnesses, like Lyme disease.
Historically, rats have been blamed for the deadliest pandemic ever, the bubonic plague that killed about 25 million people in Europe during the 1300s.
Yeah, but now some scientists believe the humans spread that plague, not rats.
So quit pointing your fingers at us, people, and take a look in the mirror.
Smarty pants.
Which rodent is faster?
Rats!
Squirt!
Yep, it's squirrels.
While rats average good speed, squirrels can scamper over twice as fast, reaching speeds of up to 20 miles or 32 kilometers per hour.
Squirrels are also great jumpers.
Their padded feet help them jump from up to 20 feet or six meters.
Now, here's the final question.
Which rodent is a bigger pest?
Come on, it's gotta be rats.
I'm gonna agree.
You shouldn't mess with us.
Actually, it's hard to say.
Rats tend to do damage inside building nests, in walls, eating through groceries and chewing anything they can find.
But squirrels cause a lot of damage too, usually outside.
They dig holes in yards, chew through roof shingles and siding, and even gnaw on power lines, causing 10-20 of all power outages.
So technically, you both make a lot of trouble.
And that concludes another episode of Rat vs. Squirrel.
How'd you do, smarty pants?
Great!
Say, narrator, you're still going to share your lunch with me, right?
That's not a good idea.
What?
Smarty Pants.
Even though squirrels have a bit in common with rats, they're also very different in many ways.
See?
I told you our tails aren't the only difference.
Whatever.
He's still not going to share his pizza crust with you.
Is that true, trusty narrator?
Yep.
Aw, why not?
Smartypants, can you guess why many wildlife experts say you shouldn't feed squirrels?
Is it A, you'll attract more animals and potential disease.
B, human food is bad for squirrels.
Or C, squirrels might become dependent on handouts and stop hunting for food.
Or D, squirrels might fear humans less and turn more aggressive, attacking with their sharp teeth.
Uh, none of the above?
Sorry, squirrel.
It's actually all of the above.
Whoa.
And I get the feeling you're starting to become dependent on people like me.
Maybe you should stop begging for my lunch and go look for food in that tree instead.
Fine.
Catch you next time, trusty.
Ah, now I can enjoy my pizza in peace.
Hey, where'd my pizza go?
Hey, look, that rat's got an entire slice of pizza in its mouth.
It's headed to the subway.
Welcome to New York.
Oh, rats.
A squirrely shout out to Ellie in Calgary, Alberta.
You told us you love learning new things and want everyone to know that who's smarted is never boring.
You're absolutely right.
Boring is bad.
Laughing and learning is awesome.
Thanks, Ellie.
This episode's Squirrels was written by Dave Bushytale-Bodrum and voiced by Squirrely Charlotte Cohn, Mike Ratso-Pravitti, Adam Acorns-Davis and Jerry Kolber.
Tactical direction and sound design by Jumpin' Josh Hahn.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Pizza Crust Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Flying Squirrel Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex-Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
Too smart and...
