Sciurus niger

Biological Overview

Habitat
Fox squirrels are opportunistic feeders know to consume variety of food.

Diet
Planting new trees through forgotten food caches, dispersing seeds and spores, and serving as a crucial prey source.

Role in Ecosystem
They spend most their day looking for food including acorns hickory.

Behavior
Behavior where they bury food in numerous small, scatter locations.

Human Impact

Human impacts on squirrels range from significant habitat destruction, such as deforestation and urbanization, to forcing behavioral adaptations, including increased tolerance to human presence. While habitat loss destroys natural nesting sites, many squirrel species adapt by exploiting food sources, such as garbage and bird feeders, which can lead to higher population decreases in urban areas than in forests. However, urbanization also brings risks, with traffic and more, high levels of human activity, specifically dog walking, act as stress factors that can lead to their problem-solving abilities.

Creative Exploration

A flash of orange in the oak,
A bandit dressed in copper.
With belly as winter sun,
The fox squirrel’s busy day has began.
Larger than his gray-tailed,
He wears a rusted, bushy grin.
He leaps from branch to highest point,
A master of the forest, now.
With heavy tail, a balancing beam,
He moves with graceful,
He digs, he hides, with paws,
A quiet hero of nature’s laws.

K., Asah Lee

Book 8