By Joseph Reznik | Columnist
Birds are on the move, leaves are changing color, and the raccoon next door is putting on weight, stocking up on the cat food I have left out for the feral cats.
Another denizen of the urban landscape is the squirrel, whom can be easily seen in most people’s backyards. These little mammals are fun to watch as they interact with each other and figure out how to get into your bird feeder.
There are four species of squirrels in Pennsylvania, but the most common ones found in urban and suburban areas are the gray squirrel and the fox squirrel. You can tell these two apart by their color, the gray squirrel being as the name suggests, gray with a whitish underbelly; while the fox squirrel will have reddish hair, especially in the underbelly.
Scientists are hoping you’ll help them as well in a citizen science project called Project Squirrel (https://projectsquirrel.org/index.shtml or through the app). You can let scientists know whenever you see a squirrel or don’t see a squirrel; where animals are not is just as important as knowing where they are!
You can tell us what the squirrels are doing, what they are eating, or if they are playing. You can also help scientists in an experiment to determine where and what squirrels like to eat in the Experimental Forage Patch (forage is just a fancy word for eating).
I hope this activity will encourage everyone to spend a little bit of time outdoors and if you want to tell me about your adventures, drop me an email at: [email protected].
Happy explorations…
