My site was quiet, a cloudy 25 degrees Fahrenheit, it had just finished snowing the hour before. Most tracks previously left were covered over by the snow and only vague nearly unidentifiable tracks remained within the snow. One such example, is the grey squirrel. According to Sciencing Magazine in an article posted by scientist Jenny Green about the various types of squirrels in North America and their winter habits, that the grey squirrel hoards nuts and berries for when food is scarce (Green 2019). They have the ability to smell buried food, even if buried below 30 cm of snow and soil. Similarly, Green discussed how these squirrels will disappear into their dens for several days if there is severe weather conditions.
Due to the added snow, most of the original prints from earlier in the day had become covered up. This made it incredibly difficult to track any animals. Squirrel’s make dens known as Dreys, these are often in knots or holes of trees (AnimalSpot). Due to the densely wooded area, they have high activity within this site of Centennial. I have seen them leap from tree to tree, more so in the fall of 2019, as they were more active in warmer weathers. The image below shows a dead tree, which would offer good squirrel habitat for potential Dreys, especially in severe winter weather.
Grey squirrels are the prey of many animals, including hawks, owls, skunks, foxes, etc. Their agility and climbing abilities allow them to escape these predators, primarily ground based predators like foxes and skunks. They also could be attacked by domestic dogs, as many are bred for hunting other smaller animals that are similar to squirrels.
In the image above, along the left side, several dog prints are visible in the snow. Dogs very well could chase squirrels, especially with how common both species are within the woods. One introduced as a pet, the other native to the area.
The rest of the site was similar to my last visit, still covered in snow with little to no foliage, not much has changed. I was unsurprised as January and February have similar climates and weather patterns. I assume that come march there will be greater changes a foot within the area.
Work Cited
Eastern Gray Squirrel. (n.d.). Retrieved February 29, 2020, from https://www.animalspot.net/eastern-gray-squirrel.html
Green, J. (2019, June 12). How Does a Squirrel Survive in the Winter? Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/squirrel-survive-winter-4612243.html