Eastern Gray Squirrels Lab Report

Introduction: The Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus Carolinensis) is the very common, NOrth American Squirrel. It is found in a great variety of woodlands, parklands, suburban, and even urban areas (Pennsylvania State University, 2013). The Eastern Gray squirrel’s primary food is “mast,” more commonly known as nuts of forest trees. Eastern Gray Squirrels will also eat almost anything given to them with the exceptions of meat, though there have been a few cases reported of cannibalism (http://www.biokids.umich.edu, 2002). Eastern Gray Squirrels have adapted to eating human foods such as potato chips, seeds, fruit, etc. But have Eastern Gray squirrels become so adapted to eating human foods that they prefer easily accessible human food over their own natural food such as nuts? This question leads to my experiment of squirrels food preference, corn (human food) or acorns, one of the eastern gray squirrels primary food. The experiment will located in Bush Pasture Park in Salem, Oregon where Eastern Gray Squirrels are thriving within an urban area. My hypothesis is that squirrels will prefer the more easily accessible human food, corn.

Material and Methods:
A 1 lb. bag of acorns were bought and a can of less sodium corn. The experiment took place in Bush Pasture Park in Salem Oregon where Eastern Gray squirrels are thriving within an Urban community, to better replicate the Eastern Gray Squirrels desire for human food. The entire was placed in a clear 8 ounce bowl on a green picnic table so it would, again, replicate a human environment. Next, then 10 acorns were placed randomly around the picnic table. The acorns were placed within 45 feet of the table so the experiment would be closely monitored. The squirrel’s food preference would monitored within a 6, 1 hour time frames. The first 3 were taken on Sunday, June 1, and then Monday, May 2nd. Within each one hour, the squirrel’s food preference was