Spring and summer time budgets and feeding behaviourof the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ferron ◽  
J. P. Ouellet ◽  
Y. Lemay
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Time Budgets ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
The North ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Summer Time

The purpose of the study was to attempt to understand how feeding requirements, reproductive constraints, and fluctuating environmental conditions (specifically, ambient temperature and food availability) are integrated in the time budget of the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), an arboreal sciurid of the North American coniferous forest that remains active year-round. It appears that ambient temperature and food availability have important influences on the allocation of time among different activities. Reproductive constraints apparently do not affect differently the time budgets of males and females during the spring breeding season. The analysis of food habits of the red squirrel demonstrates that the species is opportunistic and takes advantage of the continuously changing food availability during the growing season. Fluctuations in diet influence whether feeding and foraging are arboreal or terrestrial, as well as affecting the relative importance of these two activities in the time budget of the red squirrel.

Female Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Reproductive Tracts from Fenitrothion Treated and Untreated Forest of Southeastern New Brunswick

1986 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis LaPierre
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Probability Level ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
August 15Th ◽  
Student’S T ◽  
Student’S T Test

Between August 15th and September 15th 1979, 1980 and 1981, 77 and 74 red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, were captured within the sprayed and unsprayed coniferous forest of southeastern New Brunswick. Following live capture, the squirrels were sacrificed, weighed and the reproductive tracts were removed and preserved in a 10% formalin solution.Counts of placental scars and corpora lutea of squirrels that inhabited the sprayed forest had a mean placental scar count of 3.8 and a mean corpora lutea count of 4.2. Squirrels from the unsprayed coniferous forest had a mean placental count of 3.6 and a corpora lutea count of 3.9. Statistical analyses, using the student's T-test with a probability level of 0.05, revealed no significant differences in reproductive success of the two groups of squirrels.

Exploring territory quality in the North American red squirrel through removal experiments

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 1115-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl W. Larsen ◽  
Stan Boutin
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Territory Quality ◽  
The North ◽  
Removal Experiments ◽  
Habitat Saturation ◽  
Removal Studies ◽  
North American Red Squirrel

If territory quality affects the fitness of its holder, then relatively unsuccessful individuals should relocate if given the opportunity to appropriate a higher quality territory. Relocation by these animals, however, may be prevented by habitat saturation, poor competitive ability, or the costs of relocating. We conducted two removal studies that created numerous territory vacancies in a population of the North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), thus providing favourable conditions for relocation. In both experiments, we tested whether nonbreeding females were more likely to relocate than breeding females, presumably because they (the nonbreeders) occupied relatively poor-quality territories. In our first experiment we permanently removed most of the squirrels from a study site and monitored the relative proportions of the remaining nonbreeding and breeding females that relocated. In our second experiment we monitored the response of squirrels to vacant territories that had been previously held by nonbreeding and breeding females, as well as by males. We also monitored the behaviour of squirrels that did not hold territories (dispersing offspring), as these individuals would not experience the same costs of relocation as adults. Our experiments showed that neither category of female was likely to relocate, regardless of the type of territory available. Both residents and dispersing offspring displayed no biases towards vacant territories that previously belonged to nonbreeding or breeding females or to males. Relocation does not appear to be a strategy for a female in this system to increase her reproductive opportunities. This suggests that either territory quality is inconsequential or the costs of relocation are prohibitive. Dispersing offspring also may be unable to select certain territories because of the premium placed on acquiring a territory, regardless of its quality.

Seasonal changes in territory use by red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, and responses to food augmentation

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 1957-1965 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara L Vlasman ◽  
John M Fryxell
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Territory Size ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Conspecific Density ◽  
Effect Of Food ◽  
Seasonal Influences

Traditionally, the importance of food availability and intruder pressure on habitat use have been investigated through their influences on territory size. Food-augmentation studies are more prevalent; however, they are potentially confounded by the indirect effect of conspecific attraction to local food additions. Frequent ambiguous results may be attributed to the scale of investigation. Furthermore, such investigations have not considered potential seasonal influences. In this study, controlled experimental manipulations of food availability and conspecific density were performed within red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) territories in Algonquin Park, Ontario, to tease apart the relative importance of direct and indirect effects of food augmentation. Effects were investigated at two levels of scale, using territory size and giving-up densities (GUDs) within activity locations as response variables. Augmenting food, with or without simultaneously removing conspecifics, did not influence territory size. However, territory size decreased in control and treatment groups following manipulations, which is suggestive of seasonal influences associated with caching behaviour and midden defence. Despite overwhelming seasonal influences, GUDs were more sensitive to treatments, revealing that competitors had a greater influence on habitat use than the direct effect of food addition. Ambiguous results of previous studies may due to the use of territory-size estimators that are insensitive to responses occurring at smaller scales.

Meadows of the North-Eastern Altai

2002 ◽  
pp. 22-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Maltseva ◽  
N. I. Makunina
Keyword(s):  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Wet Meadows ◽  
Abies Sibirica ◽  
Dark Coniferous Forest ◽  
Hay Meadows ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Humid Area ◽  
River Valleys

The North-Eastern Altai is an ultra-humid area with climax vegetation represented by tall-herb fir (Abies sibirica) dark-coniferous forest. Its meadows belong to the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. The typical asso­ciation Aegopodio podagrariae—Dactyletum glomeratae originates in the watershed clearings after climax forests whereas ass. Hyperici perforati—Agrostietum giganteaereplaces the previous one under mowing and grazing. The Molinietalia wet meadows are widespread in the river valleys. The meadows of ass. Cirsio heterophylli—Calama­grostietum langsdorffii occur on wet soils in small depressions and along floodplain mire margins, and ass. Ca­rici ovalis—Deschampsietum cespitosae comprises typical floodplain hay-meadows on moist, nutrient-rich soils.

scholarly journals Excavation of Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) Middens by Bears (Ursus spp.) in Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis) Habitat in Banff National Park, Alberta

2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hamer
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Limber Pine ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Pinus Spp

Bears (Ursus spp.) in North America eat the seeds of several pines (Pinus spp.), including Limber Pine (P. flexilis E. James). Information on use of Limber Pine in Canada is limited to a report of three bear scats containing pine seeds found in Limber Pine stands of southwestern Alberta. After my preliminary fieldwork in Banff National Park revealed that bears were eating seeds of Limber Pine there, I conducted a field study in 2014–2015 to assess this use. Because bears typically obtain pine seeds from cone caches (middens) made by Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), I described the abundance, habitat characteristics, and use by bears of Red Squirrel middens in and adjacent to Limber Pine stands at six study sites. On Bow River escarpments, I found abundant Limber Pines (basal area 1–9 m2/ha) and middens (0.8 middens/ha, standard deviation [SD] 0.2). Of 24 middens, 13 (54%) had been excavated by bears, and three bear scats composed of pine seeds were found beside middens. Although Limber Pines occurred on steep, xeric, windswept slopes (mean 28°, SD 3), middens occurred on moderate slopes (mean 12°, SD 3) in escarpment gullies and at the toe of slopes in forests of other species, particularly Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). At the five other study sites, I found little or no use of Limber Pine seeds by bears, suggesting that Limber Pine habitat may be little used by bears unless the pines are interspersed with (non-Limber Pine) habitat with greater forest cover and less-steep slopes where squirrels establish middens. These observations provide managers with an additional piece of information regarding potential drivers of bear activity in the human-dominated landscape of Banff National Park’s lower Bow Valley.

SEASONAL DAMAGE BY INSECTS AND SQUIRRELS TO FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES OF BLACK SPRUCE, PICEA MARIANA (MILL.) B.S.P.

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 1113-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.H. Prévost ◽  
J.E. Laing ◽  
V.F. Haavisto
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Reproductive Structures ◽  
Cone Axis ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
Cone Growth

AbstractThe seasonal damage to female reproductive structures (buds, flowers, and cones) of black spruce, Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P., was assessed during 1983 and 1984. Nineteen insects (five Orders) and the red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben), were found feeding on these reproductive structures. Collectively, these organisms damaged 88.9 and 53.5% of the cones in 1983 and 1984, respectively. In the 2 years, Lepidoptera damaged 61.8% of the cones in 1983 and 44.4% of the cones in 1984. The spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), and the spruce coneworm, Dioryctria reniculelloides Mut. and Mun., were the most important pests. Cones damaged by Lepidoptera could be classed into three categories: (a) severe, yielding no seeds; (b) moderate, yielding 22.3 seeds per cone; and (c) light, yielding 37.5 seeds per cone. Undamaged cones yielded on average 39.9 seeds per cone. Red squirrels removed 18.8% of the cones in 1983 and none in 1984. The spruce cone axis midge, Dasineura rachiphaga Tripp, and the spruce cone maggot, Lasiomma anthracinum (Czerny), caused minor damage in both years. Feeding by spruce cone axis midge did not reduce cone growth significantly or the number of viable seeds per cone, but feeding by the spruce cone maggot did. During both years new damage by insects to the female reproductive structures of the experimental trees was not observed after mid-July. In 1983 damage by red squirrels occurred from early to late September. In 1984 damage to cones on trees treated with dimethoate was 15.6% compared with 53.5% for untreated trees, without an increase in the number of aborted cones.

Seasonal Habitat Use by Nubian Ibex (Capra Nubiana) Evaluated with Behavioral Indicators

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon A. Tadesse ◽  
Burt P. Kotler
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Time Allocation ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Time Budget ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Time Budgets ◽  
Behavioral Models ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Focal Observation

Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) prefer steep terrain in their landscape to reduce risks of predation and human nuisance disturbances. They also use vigilance and time allocation to manage risk of predation. We studied time budgets and habitat selection of Nubian ibex to: (1) identify the habitat variables to which Nubian ibex were behaviorally responsive; (2) investigate how time budget responses of Nubian ibex were related to season, slope condition, group size, and sex-age structure; and (3) develop behavioral-based models that account for the variations in the behaviors of Nubian ibex across the landscape and seasons.To quantify time budgets, we took regular field observations on focal individuals of Nubian ibex classified according to their habitat, group size, sex, and age. For each focal observation, we quantified environmental variables that were thought to influence the behavioral responses of ibex. Then, we developed behavioral models by correlating the proportion of behaviors measured in focal animal observations to the influential environmental variables. The behaviors of Nubian ibex significantly varied with sex and age structure, season, habitat type, and slope conditions. Adult females are more vigilant than adult male ibex, especially in the spring. This correlates with breeding and nursing activities. Based on the characteristics of the habitat, ibex behave to minimize risks of predation and human nuisance disturbances while maximizing their food intake.

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