Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis) Foraging Response to Predator Scent in Rural versus Urban Settings

A. Significance and importance of project
Research will be conducted on the foraging behavioral habits of the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in the presence of predatory scent. The differential influences of urban versus rural settings in their relation to foraging practices will be studied. Predator scent has been shown to influence foraging behavior in the past (Lima and Valone, 1986). Predation risk and foraging efficiency were demonstrated in this study to be interrelated concepts in behavioral patterns of gray squirrels. …