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Sciuridae Sciurus niger (fox squirrel) Image Caption: A fox squirrel strips bark from a Linden (Tilia cordata) to use as nesting material. Squirrels will also strip bark for nourishment, and sometimes cause significant tree damage. Bark stripping can reduce a tree's ability to carry nutrients, cause defects in the wood, and open the tree to potential fungual or insect infection (Putman, 1989, p. 145). Bark stripping can be a particular problem in Britian, where gray squirrels damage more often than in America. A study by the Institude of Terrestial Ecology found that gray squirrels strip little bark until the tree pholem density reaches a certain point, then bark stripping becomes widespread (Putman, 1989, p. 147). |
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| Image Location: United States, South Dakota, Brookings Image Date: 2009DEC18 Image Species: Sciurus niger rufiventer (EXIF Info is accurate – stamped in UTC). Web Page and Pictures By Hannah Leitheiser Updated: 2009DEC26 |