High Risk Feeding and Food Preference in the Eastern Gray Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis

• Janette Hartney

  Juniata College

  Author

• Lynn Rassel

  Juniata College

  Author

• Kimberly Sebrasky

  Juniata College

  Author

Foraging Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) were observed for a period of three weeks to analyze their risk behavior, as well as their food preference. We set up a grid of 20 or 25 feeding sites on a lawn bordering a small woodlot on the southern side of the Brumbaugh Science Center of Juniata College (Huntingdon, Pennsylvania). The study area was chosen because of prior sightings of grey squirrels there. Our data showed that the squirrels would collect peanuts at varying distances from cover (distance from the woodlot) with equal frequency. The squirrels also preferred peanuts over sunflower seeds.

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