A territory refers to the sociographical region, which an animal of a specific species spontaneously defends against the animals of other species. Animals, which guard their territories, are considered as territorial.
However, different species exhibit territories of distinct sizes. The fact of the size of a territory can be confused with a dearth of difference between the defended territory and the home range.
The shape and size of a territory can change on the basis of the season, its purpose, the quality and amount of resources it comprises, or the geography. The size is generally a compromise of defense costs, resource needs, reproductive needs, and predation pressure. For example, some of the species of squirrels may privilege to exhibit as much as 10 hectares of territory.