Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T04:14:06.840Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Movement and mortality of translocated urban-suburban grey squirrels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

LW Adams ,
J Hadidian  and
V Flyger
LW Adams*
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Management Program, Department of Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
J Hadidian
Affiliation:
The Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
V Flyger
Affiliation:
Department of Avian and Animal Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
*
* Correspondence: la3@umail.umd.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

During summer and autumn of 1994-1997, we determined the movements and mortality of 38 adult male Eastern grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) that had been captured in urban-suburban backyards and translocated to a large forest. The squirrels did not fare well. Squirrels not found dead or classified as ‘probable mortality’ disappeared from the forest with a median time to disappearance of II days. Ninety-seven per cent (37 of 38) of the squirrels either died or disappeared from the release area within 88 days.

Keywords

animal welfareSciurus carolinensissquirreltranslocationurbanwildlife
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , February 2004 , pp. 45 - 50
Copyright
© 2004 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Bakken, A 1959 Behavior of gray squirrels. Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners 13: 393–406Google Scholar
Barkalow FS Jr, Hamilton RB and Soots RF Jr 1970 The vital statistics of an unexploited gray squirrel population. Journal of Wildlife Management 34: 489–500CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, WJ 1972 Methoxyflurane: an anesthetic for field and laboratory use on squirrels. Journal of Wildlife Management 36: 992–993CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryant, BK and Ishmael, W 1991 Movement and mortality patterns of resident and translocated suburban white-tailed deer. In: Adams, LW and Leedy, DL (eds) Wildlife Conservation in Metropolitan Environments pp 53–58. National Institute for Urban Wildlife: Columbia, Maryland, USAGoogle Scholar
Coleman, JS and Jones, AB III 1988 User's Guide to TELEM88: Computer Analysis System for Radio-Telemetry Data. Research Series No I. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Blacksburg, USAGoogle Scholar
Craven, S, Barnes, T and Kania, G 1998 Toward a professional position on the translocation of problem wildlife. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26: 171–177Google Scholar
Davis, DE 1949 The role of intraspecific competition in game management. North American Wildlife Conference 14: 225–231Google Scholar
de Almeida, MH 1987 Nuisance furbearer damage control in urban and suburban areas. In: Novak, M, Baker, JA, Obbard, ME and Malloch, B (eds) Wild Furbearer Management and Conservation in North America pp 996–1006. Ontario Trappers Association: North Bay, Ontario, CanadaGoogle Scholar
Don, BAC 1983 Home range characteristics and correlates in tree squirrels. Mammal Review 13: 123–132CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flyger, V 1956 The social behavior and populations of the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin) in Maryland. Dissertation, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USAGoogle Scholar
Flyger, VF 1955 Implications of social behavior in gray squirrel management. North American Wildlife Conference 20: 381–389Google Scholar
Flyger, VF 1960 Movements and home range of the gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, in two Maryland woodlots. Ecology 41: 365–369CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frampton, JE and Webb, LG 1973 Preliminary report on the movement and fate of raccoons released in unfamiliar territory. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 27: 170–183Google Scholar
Gurnell, J 1987 The Natural History of Squirrels. Christopher Helm: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Hougart, B 1974 Activity patterns of radio-tracked gray squirrels. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USAGoogle Scholar
Koprowski, JL 1993 The role of kinship in field interactions among juvenile gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). Canadian Journal of Zoology 71: 224–226CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koprowski, JL 1994 Sciurus carolinensis. Mammalian Species 480: 1–9Google Scholar
Mosby, HS 1969 The influence of hunting on the population dynamics of a woodlot gray squirrel population. Journal of Wildlife Management 33: 59–73CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mosillo, M, Heske, EJ and Thompson, JD 1999 Survival and movements of translocated raccoons in northcentral Illinois. Journal of Wildlife Management 63: 278–286CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reeve, NJ 1998 The survival and welfare of hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) after release back into the wild. Animal Welfare 7: 189–202Google Scholar
Roecker, RM 1950 The biology of the northern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis leucotis (Gapper) in central New York. Dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USAGoogle Scholar
Rosatte, RC and Maclnnes, CD 1989 Relocation of city raccoons. Proceedings of the Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop 9: 87–92Google Scholar
Sainsbury, AW, Bennett, PM and Kirkwood, JK 1995 The welfare of free-living wild animals in Europe: harm caused by human activities. Animal Welfare 4: 183–206Google Scholar
Taylor, JC 1969 Social structure and behaviour in a grey squirrel population. Dissertation, University of London, UKGoogle Scholar
Thompson, DC 1978a Regulation of a northern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) population. Ecology 59: 708–715CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, DC 1978b The social system of the grey squirrel. Behaviour 64: 305–328CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Venning, T, Sainsbury, T and Gurnell, J 1997 Red squirrel translocation and population reinforcement as a conservation tactic. In: Gurnell J and Lurz P (eds) The Conservation of Red Squirrels, Sciurus vulgaris L pp 133–143. People's Trust for Endangered Species: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Wauters, LA, Somers, L and Dhondt, AA 1997 Settlement behaviour and population dynamics of reintroduced red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris in a park in Antwerp, Belgium. Biological Conservation 82: 101–107CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, GA 1977 Dispersal and survival of translocated raccoons in Kentucky. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 31: 285–294Google Scholar