The Eastern Fox Squirrel is Invading! What will happen to our Native California Squirrels?

California has two original Squirrel species: The Western Gray and the California Ground Squirrel.
Early in the 1900's, Eastern Fox squirrels were brought here as pets by people from the Eastern U.S.A.
Some got loose, and they became INVASIVE: Their population has grown and they are aggressively taking over territory and food sources from our native California squirrels.

Our Western Grays and Ground Squirrels share the same territory. These two species each have certain foods and habitats they prefer. Each has found a niche, and they don't compete for all the same resources.
Both species produce ONE litter of pups per year.

The Fox Squirrel is a generalist, and isn't as particular about its food preferences. Previous studies report that it is more aggressive and territorial. It produces TWO litters of pups per year.

From another study by Dr. Muchlinski at CSLA, we learned that in some places, the Fox squirrel has chased out our native Western Grays and Ground squirrels. In other areas where the Fox squirrel has appeared, our native squirrel species are still holding their ground.

We would like to learn more about the squirrel populations at Cal Poly Pomona- their habitats, behaviors, and interactions. Through our observations, we hope to add data that will help determine what kinds of habitats will help Western Grays and Ground squirrels hold their ground at Cal Poly Pomona.

Posted on June 22, 2016 05:43 AM by ubsquirrels