Scientific Research Brooke Turner, Class 3, Due Date: May 18, Genus: Sciurus

The Eight Characteristics of Life

uses energy

energy: the ABILITY to do work

Squirrels choose which acorns they eat based on how much total energy they can obtain from them. They choose the ones highest in fats that are easiest to open in order to be as efficient as possible when eating.

How squirrels move and digest food, two ways that they use energy.

reproduce

reproduce: make more of your own kind
When there are enough predators to lower the population of gray squirrels, red squirrels can flourish.

Gray squirrels, since being introduced from North America, have been forcing red squirrels out in the United Kingdom. They were originally brought in when they charmed wealthy European manufacturers. Now, they have made it so that red squirrels are considered endangered in the country. Gray squirrels are not only taking food and habitats, but are also spreading a disease, squirrelpox that kills red squirrels, but that gray ones are immune to. Though there have been multiple attempts to eradicate the harmful gray squirrels, none have been permanent or even very effective. But, with the return of the predator pine marten, gray squirrel population has been plummeting. Once their numbers go down, red squirrels can quickly recover, giving hope to their species.

A mother squirrel with an older pup.

Grow and Develop

grow: increase in size or number
develop: change or mature
The differences in size and weight between fully grown adult Red and Grey Squirrels.

Etienne BensoN

  • works at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of History and Sociology of Science as a historian of science, technology, and environment
  • wrote a book, Wired Wilderness as a history of wildlife radio-tracking
  • has written multiple articles
  • wrote an article on "the urbanization of gray squirrels," along with others

Adapts to Environment

Adapt: change to suit environment

an adaptation must be able to be passed on to offspring

Flying squirrels have adapted to be able to stay in the air as long as possible so they are less likely to be killed by ground-based predators.

Created By
brooke turner
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