urban species #004: Eastern Gray Squirrel

[urbpan]

Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis

Fortunately for squirrels, they eat more than nuts. Like their less-beloved relatives, the mice and rats, squirrels are quite omnivorous. In addition to the seeds of trees, they eat flowers, mushrooms, and baby birds. They are as happy snacking on pizza crusts from a trash can as they are collecting acorns.

The fact that they can eat wild foods and garbage, as well as peanuts and popcorn from city park well-wishers, means that the density of urban gray squirrel populations may be higher than in a forest. Some cities and towns love their squirrels, especially if they are unusually colored. Eastern gray squirrels have spread far and wide from their original range, and can be found on the west coast as well as in Great Britain and Italy. Like many successful urban species, when introduced outside their native range, they become invasive.

Comments

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad the one in this picture is alive.

Even if it IS possessed.

[richmackin.livejournal.com]

Possessed? I thought it was shooting Jef with a laser beam out of his eye.

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

Talk about an invasive species!

Or maybe it's a squirrel from the Village of the Damned.

[brush-rat.livejournal.com]

Does pit bull urine deter zombie squirrels As well? Great googily moogily I hope so.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

My favourite urban beastie ever. I raised a couple of wild orphans many years ago (one went directly back to the wild, the other was passed on to a wildlife sanctuary), and although they're an insane sort of thing to have living in the house and do not make good pets at all, it was one hell of a lot of fun.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

I think I'd rather have 6 adult chimps in the house, rather than 2 youthful squirrels!

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

I dunno. The damage and destruction would be about the same, but chimps don't have those adorable tails...

Squirrels like having their ears scratched like dogs. They go all limp with pleasure and close their eyes and yawn. And Squig Two liked being cuddled - his favourite place to sleep was inside someone's shirt. Cutest thing ever.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Squirrels are beyond a doubt, very cute!

grey squirrel

[(Anonymous)]

I have a grey squirrel about 2 months old. he is very active during the day.do you have advice for me. He is starting to chew on wires, running around the house like a mad man. I love him i am not sure how long i can keep him. He thinks my car is his home. I can have the windows down and he will play or go to sleep. i leave his cage open and he runs around. I feed him puppy formula and baby cereal. He is also eating corn,sunflower seeds,popcorn,chips,shrimp,turkey,brownies,fruit,and fudge pops.I have a feeling its going to get worse.

Re: grey squirrel

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's definitely going to get worse. Squirrels are interesting animals, but they have a potential to be very destructive. I don't know what kind of advice you need--can you be more specific?

[izzy23.livejournal.com]

I love this series!

We have white squirrels in Tallahassee, too (at the History and Natural Science museum, and here at my office park), but I don't think anybody has ever felt the need to hinge the town's identity on them.

[mozzer131.livejournal.com]

Cool! Thanks. At my undergrad school, we had both a captive population of grey squirrels, and a wild population of freeze-marked ones for wild observation. Apparently, next to nothing is known about their behavior, if they are a harem society, female-dominated, male-dominated, etc. My one prof used to try to persuade people to study them instead of the "fun" baboons, lemurs, or squirrel monkeys. Of course, no one fell for it.

[aemiis-zoo.livejournal.com]

I wanted to study alarm calls in grey squirrels after reading an article that said they had different vocalizations for aerial vs. ground predators. If I ever went to grad school, I'd be all over that. Where did you go to school?

Oh, I think primates are overrated. =P

[mozzer131.livejournal.com]

For undergrad, I went to Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA (middle-o-nowhere). We had a great program, although it was *very* small. In my graduating class, there were 3 BS students and 4 BA students in Animal Behavior, which was a dual major in Bio and Psych in and of itself. They do have a grad program, with IIRC, about 2-3 students a year.

Unfortunately, since I've been there, they've severely relaxed the degree requirements in an effort to get more people to major in it. They have had great success with building better enclosure for the primates and all. Also, the two greatest, and smartest men, in the program have since retired. And the prof who was all over the squirrel (Michael Periera sp?) left Bucknell. So, they might not have the captive population anymore, but chances are, the marked guys are still running rampant all over campus.

[aemiis-zoo.livejournal.com]

Thanks! =)