Research Update:
Two students, Scott Howe and Matt Woolsey, make up the rest of Squirrel
Crew '99. Scott is focusing on differential fat stores between sexes,
ages, and treatment groups using a technique often employed on human babies
called 'total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC)'; Matt is examining
the ecology of behavioral phenotypes as measured by Mirror Image Stimulation
(MIS). As of 1 July, we are monitoring over 50 squirrels on
the Willamette University campus and have obtained behavioral profiles
on >90% of these and measures of fat stores in >80% of these individuals.
You will find a few pictures of the activities below:
Are you most interested in
Data on fat content is collected upon each capture. A squirrel restrained in a handling bag in the TOBEC chamber. The handling bag serves much like blinders on a horse and the squirrels are exceedingly mellow. Individuals are released at their original site of capture after about 30 minutes in the laboratory.
As of July 21, 1999, 45 males and 29 females have been marked, weighed, and tested for body fat. While we are currently working on calculating lean body mass and body fat, here is some of our data on total body mass.
Adult Males
530.00g
Yearling Males
511.43g
Juvenile Males
338.00g
Adult Females
577.10g
Yearling Females
486.67g
Juvenile Females
363.75g
Mean Male Mass
502.67g
Mean Female Mass
530.00g
Mean Adult Mass
553.55g
Mean Juvenile Mass
350.86g
Analysis
of Behavioral Profiles:
The behavioral profiles of individual squirrels are quantified by enabling the animal to interact with a mirror image of itself. The image is unfamiliar to the squirrel and of equivalent size. Matt scores behaviors during a 10-min session after a period of acclimation to the chamber. The mirror-image stimulation (MIS) arena is monitored through a one-way glass window and by an overhead microphone and video camera. A cover to the mirror is removed remotely using a pulley system. Individuals are returned to their original place of capture immediately after their MIS session.
Interesting Related Links:
Squirrel Almanac --a great site to visit for a myriad of squirrel information
White Squirrels --information on white morphs of the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
The
Animal Diversity Web --an incredible source of information on
animals from the University of
Michigan's Museum of Zoology
Smithsonian
Institution WWW -- A diversity of information on diversity
