Scrat is the name of an acorn-obsessed sabre-toothed squirrel that first appeared in the film 'Ice Age' in 2002. Although he is not the main character, Scrat has also featured in all the sequels. Set during the Pleistocene ice age, the film focuses on the lives of a woolly mammoth called Manny, Sid the ground sloth, and a sabre-toothed tiger called Diego, who are trying to return a human baby to its tribe. Meanwhile, Scrat is perpetually searching for somewhere to bury his acorn in the frozen ground.

Scrat is included in the 'Ice Age' franchise as a form of comic relief from the plot. Occasionally, his actions affect the storyline, for instance, when he forces his acorn into the ice, causing it to crack and inadvertently form the continents of the world.

Whilst researchers for the film did their best to make the animals as realistic as possible, they admitted to inventing sabre-toothed squirrels. Nonetheless, in 2011, scientists in Argentina discovered the remains of an extinct, shrew-like mammal with long fangs, which looked similar to the fictional Scrat.

As of 2022, there have been five 'Ice Age' films with the sequels being subtitled 'The Meltdown' (2006), 'The Dawn of the Dinosaurs' (2009), 'Continental Drift' (2012) and 'Collision Course' (2016). Scrat has also appeared in several short films that have been released alongside the main films. These include 'Gone Nutty' and 'No Time for Nuts', which focus on Scrat's failed attempts to bury his acorn.

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