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In this experiment, we are testing how close a member of our group can get to a squirrel before it flees. There are several factors to take into account when doing experiments involving squirrels. Annual rhythms, communication techniques, dispersal, spacing behavior, and social evolution and groups are all important aspects of squirrel behavior (Lidicker 1985). Other factors that we are involving in our test include response to odors and territoriality. It is important to understand the general behaviors of squirrels before hypothesizing how they will react to our different tests.

Territory
The size of squirrels' territories is influenced by several facets. Primarily, a squirrel or community of squirrels has a territory determined by the availability of resources (Steury 2002). Similarly, squirrels must be aware of competition. Squirrels cannot be too aggressive because a territory that is too large cannot be defended properly and will make the squirrel population more susceptible to predation (Steury 2002). Though other animals are considered competition, fox squirrels and gray squirrels are less driven to defend their territory and coexist peacefully without conflict (Long 1995).
Territoriality is an important factor in our experiment because animals that are more territorial may see our approach as a threat and react in different ways. The squirrels in our sample area may be less likely to react since they are accustomed to sharing their territory with students. For example, we will probably be able to get closer to the squirrels around campus in comparison to the squirrels in the woods that are not as used to human interaction. Also, squirrels are accustomed to agile predators that move quickly (Long 1995) so approaching more slowly will lessen the instinct of territorial reaction.

Instinct
Instinct "impels living creatures to take action that saves their lives." (Droscher 1965) Approaching an animal in a quick or threatening manner will inevitably set off a reaction caused by basic instinct. Animals are capable of easily recognizing rivals (Droscher 1965). In our experiment, we are testing the effect of color on approach distance as one of our factors. If the colors we use look similar to that of a rival animal, the squirrel will be more likely to flee as a form of defense thus making the approach distance significantly shorter. Of course this may also work inversely where wearing colors that are identifiably similar to that of a squirrel will allow us to have a much larger approach distance.
Odors, another factor that we are testing in this experiment, also act as a signal of presence and identity, providing information about sex, age, and general identity (Eisenberg 1983). Certain smells may create an alarm and cause the retreat or flight of the squirrels. It is difficult to hypothesize which odors a squirrel might find offensive, but scent does play a key role in alarming squirrels of a threatening species.
Signals such as odor and color may vary in their impact on the squirrels. Distance and duration can change the reaction of the animal. Detection threshold is also sometimes very small but this too can vary. Signal duration is a form of communication for animals. Multiple signals can create an entirely new meaning (Drickamer 1982). In performing our experiment, we will need to be careful in being consistent in the duration of the signals we use in order for our results to be accurate.

Community and Defense
In order to predict how squirrels will react to our approach, it is crucial to look at interactions between squirrels, including defense and social activity. Community plays a prevalent role in squirrel behavior. Though other squirrels may be considered competitors for resources, activities are synchronized with other members of the population, and small mammals will tend to follow similar schedules (Halle 2000). Feeding is a significant part of social organization and activity patterns (Smith 1988). Some squirrels create caches of food that can be used by kin and other members of the community (Spritzer 2003). This is also a key piece of information because it means that populations of the squirrels we test will be clumped near caches.
Small mammals recognize their kin through special cues and familiarity (Mateo 2003). Despite the colors we wear or smells we experiment with, the squirrels are smart enough that they will not view us as kin. Humans, however, are common organisms in their habitats and therefore can be considered as a familiarity. This may allow us to get closer to the squirrels because they identify our presence as a common occurrence. Methods of approach that mimic their predators may cause them to feel threatened so the best approach would probably be that of a casual nature that the squirrels are familiar with.

Timing
Once consideration we must take into account is hibernation. As we complete this experiment, we will be nearing the time for hibernation in which it will be extremely difficult to find squirrels to test. During cold winter months, small mammals with low thermal capacities hibernate in order to save energy (McFarland 1985). Hibernation is an excellent form of adaptation for squirrels, and they have developed the ability to control intestinal functions in preparation for dormant periods (Black et al. 1995). We should not have too many difficulties with hibernation because it is still early and squirrels are caching food during the period of our study, but we do have to be careful to collect data while the weather is still suitable for squirrels.

Based on the factors discussed above, we predict that we will be able to get closer to squirrels by wearing neutral colors, approaching at a slow speed, and using unoffending smells.

Methods and Proposed Results

In order to best test our hypothesis and squirrel behavior as a response to human action, we chose five variables: time of day, noise, food, color, and group vs. individual. For each of these, the four members or our group would go outside on Western Campus, locate a few squirrels, and track them each down in order to complete these five tests.
Just as the time of day affects human behavior (you're either a morning, daytime or nighttime person), we believe that the time of day will also affect animal behavior, in this case, that of squirrels. In order to test this hypothesis, we will each go outside our dorms (Peabody Hall for Bradley, McKee Hall for Nicole and Whitney, and Mary Lyon for Jocelyn) for a half an hour or so at four different times: 8AM, 12PM, 4PM, and 8PM. We will record the number of squirrels we see in our area during the specific time on data sheets. We will then regroup and compare the numbers we each obtained and draw conclusions. In this way, our group will be able to validate or negate our initial hypothesis. Will it be determined that squirrel population is more dominant in the morning and at night when there are less people around to bother them? Does human interaction around them affect when or where they will emerge from hiding? Based on our results and then on our conclusions, we will be able to determine what time of day is best for us to run the other tests considering an important amount of squirrels is necessary for us to accurately test each hypothesis.
For our second test, we intend on observing how squirrels react to certain noises. We believe that, just as for any other animal, if we were to approach a squirrel making loud or bizarre noises it would most probably run away. For this experiment, we will go outside on Western Campus and approach multiple squirrels in various ways. Some of these ways include yelling, speaking loudly, whispering, stomping, or being very quiet and silent. We will use a stopwatch to track how much time passes between the moment we start approaching the squirrel and the moment it finally runs away. We will then once again record the time on a data sheet so as to be able to determine whether or not noise in an important factor in approaching squirrels. Will the squirrels respond more to the actual sound of our voices, the specific nature noises, such as shuffling in the grass, or stepping on leaves, or the vibrations caused by our approach that they would feel through the ground? These results will allow us to decide whether or not like our hypothesis states, squirrels will respond to louder noises rather than more subtle and discrete approaches.
We are performing our next test to find out if squirrels will be more open to human approach if food is involved or if this will have no effect on them whatsoever. All over campus, we have noticed the half-eaten big green monkey brains and acorns, and have seen squirrels running around with them in their mouths. With these two observations, we have a pretty good idea of what a squirrel's diet consists of. However, some of us have also seen squirrels licking up spilt drinks, or running around with what seemed to be human food such as donuts. This leads our group to believe that if the food is available, the squirrels will not refuse it. Because of this, we have decided to test a few different types of food in our efforts to get closer to squirrels. Since they are squirrels and have a liking for nuts, we thought that using peanuts and/or peanut butter would be a good start. However, will the squirrels respond to the food that they see or rather to the food that they smell? We also plan to test bread or some sort of pastry, and perhaps some fruit such as grapes or melon. For this we would leave a trail of food, sit at the other end, and see how the squirrel responds to it. A few things could happen: the squirrel could like the food and follow the trail right up to us, at which point it could finish eating or just run off, it could be tempted by the food but not like it and lose interest, or it could not even notice its presence. We will repeat the test with each food on a random sample of squirrels and record the reactions of each squirrel on a data sheet. This will allow us to figure out which food the squirrels preferred or responded to more. We would expect the squirrels to be very hesitant toward our food trails because they are not the food they are used to nor are they disposed in a very natural way. If they do respond, however, I believe they would respond to the peanuts or peanut butter as it best reflects their diet.
Our fourth test, we have decided to see how colors affect squirrels. We must determine whether or not squirrels distinguish color or if this does not have an importance. For this, we will go outside on Western Campus with a bunch of different colored clothes: darks and brights. We will then approach a squirrel and use the stopwatch once again to measure the time it takes the squirrel to run away from us from the moment we start towards it. We will record each time on data sheets and compare our results once again. Then we will be able to know which color, if any, affects the squirrels more. Perhaps colors such as greens or browns would allow us to approach squirrels unlike colors such as hot pinks or yellows would. Do squirrels distinguish color though? There is one main point that should be researched before we try this test, perhaps they only distinguish lighter or darker shades in which case our test could still be performed just a little altered.
Finally, our last test involves quantity and presents variables in itself. Our group calls it the "group vs. individual" test. We decided to compare how squirrels reacted to having one, two, three, four, or more people walk up them. We suspect that a squirrel will run away faster when he is faced with more than one person. When one of us walks up to a squirrel, it gets jittery and tends to run away shortly there after. Due to this reaction, we believe that because there will be more people, the squirrel will feel as though we are closing in on it and will run away sooner. Variables to "group vs. individual" can be walking up to them while facing them, or backing up towards them. Perhaps not looking them in the eye would influence how close we could get to them because they might not feel directly threatened. We could also run, walk, or even hop up to them as a group or alone. All of these different ways would influence the outcome of our test. We would therefore keep a very detailed and explicit data sheet for each experiment; clearly defining which test we are doing at the time, the number of people, and the way we are approaching the squirrel.
Through these five tests, the comparison of our results, and the conclusions that we draw, we hope to be able to draw up a simple yet detailed plan of how a human can best approach a squirrel. We are attempting to define just how approachable squirrels are and believe to have covered the most important variables on this matter by experimenting with time of day, noise, food, color, and numbers.

Discussion:

Class day
When we are called upon to teach our lab to the class we plan on having a lot of class interaction while at the same time teaching them about the approachability of squirrels. Our plan is to begin the class period explaining the lab without revealing any of our data. We will group the class into singles, and groups of three. We will then have the class perform the experiment for themselves. They will record at least one data entry. After they have done so, we will take the data, enter it into the JMP program and use the projector to reveal the data to the class. Showing the T value, and graphs and explaining what the data means. We will then reveal our findings, since we explained the T values to the class with their experiment, they will then be more able to understand our data, and put meaning to it. We will explain the data, and give a summary and conclusion of our experiment.

Experiment discussion
When carrying out the actual lab we plan on testing five different approach methods: Group vs. Individual, Noise, Color, Food, and Time of day. Each test will have it's own variables like which angle we approach the squirrel; whether it be from the front of behind; and what time of day we perform the experiment. We expect the test of food to have the least convincing data.
We don't see it feasible to make the squirrel want food that is in our hand. We are so much larger than the squirrel we feel that the squirrel may not take notice to the food because it will be more concerned with our size; therefore making the test unsuccessful. The squirrel may also have a hard time smelling the food if the wind is blowing in the opposite direction, or if he smells us.
With so many different variables how can we have a solid experiment? It will make a difference at what time of day we approach the squirrels, what angle we approach, where we perform the experiment. All these things will give us different results it seems impossible to get results that are true. We can do our best to control all the variables but it is impossible to perform the tests at the same time of day.

Literature Cited

Black, H., & Cohn, J. P (1995). Gut changes for a long winter. , 45(1), 10.

Drickamer, L., & Vessey, S. (1982). Animal behavior. Boston: PWS Publishers.

Droscher, V. (1965). The mysterious senses of animals. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co..

Eisenberg, J., & Kleiman, D. (Eds.). (1983). Advances in the study of mammalian behavior. Pittsburgh, PA: The American Society of Mammalogists.

Halle, S., & Stenseth, N. (Eds.). (2000). Activity patterns in small mammals. New York: Springer.

Lidicker, Jr., W. Z (1985). The biology of ground-dwelling squirrels: annual cycles, behavioral ecology, and sociality (book). , 73(6), 582.

Long, K. (1995). Squirrels: a wildlife handbook. Boulder, CO: Johnson Books.

Mateo, J. M (2003). Kin recognition in ground squirrels and other rodents. , 84(4), 1163.

McFarland, D. (1985). Animal behaviour. Great Britain: Pitman Publishing Limited.

Smith, C. C (1988). The natural history of squirrels (book). , 76(5), 518.

Spritzer, M. D, & Brazeau, D. (2003). Direct vs. indirect benefits of caching by gray squirrels. , 109, 559-575.

Steury, T. D, & Murray, D. L (2002). Causes and consequences of individual variation in territory size in the american red squirrel. , 101, 147-156.

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• Repsonse (10/19/04) [ Contributor: Nick Riedel ]
• A Squirrely experiment (10/18/04) [ Contributor: J. Scott Jewell ]
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