Population Estimate and Influence of Environmental Variables on Trap Success of Eastern Gray Squirrels ( Sciurus carolinensis ) in Schmeeckle Reserve.
Hunter Janitch Wildlife Ecology and Management
Grace Nelson Wildlife Ecology and Management
The Eastern gray squirrel ( Sciurus carlinensis ) is commonly found in both forests and urban settings, including Schmeeckle Reserve, a 113-hectare urban park located in Stevens Point, WI. Mature mixed forests, oak savannas, and wetland complexes are the dominant land cover types in the Reserve. Since 2020, we have trapped gray squirrels on two sites at Schmeeckle Reserve using Tomahawk live traps baited with peanut butter and oats in February and March. We bait traps at 6 a.m. when temperatures are between 13.5℃ and 9.4℃ to reduce risk of hypothermia from snow melt. Traps are checked at 9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3p.m. When a squirrel is caught, we record its age, sex, ear length, weight, and ear tag number, if present. New squirrels are tagged with a uniquely numbered ear tag. Additionally, environmental conditions such as temperature, wind speed, and cloud cover are recorded at the start of each trap check. We aim to estimate the current population size of gray squirrels in Schmeeckle Reserve and assess how environmental conditions affect trapping success. We hypothesize that the population size of gray squirrels has increased from previous years due to the 2024 mast year. We will use Huggin’s closed capture model with individual random effects to estimate squirrel population size in Program MARK. Analyses are ongoing, but time of day, temperature, and cloud cover have influenced trap success in previous analyses.
Advisors: Shelli Dubay, Ph.D. Benjamin Sedinger, Ph.D.
Subject Area: Wildlife
Type: Oral
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UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
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