Grey Eastern Squirrel

This picture was taken behind Friday Hall on UNCWs campus. Sitting on the limb of the tree is a grey eastern squirrel. Squirrels are known for hiding seeds in the ground during the fall season and recovering them in the winter and spring season. The seeds are ripe in the fall when they bury them. This form of hoarding is termed "caching". This behavior is vital for the renewal of some plant species due to the fact that not every seed gets rediscovered by the squirrels. Seeds range in size and weight, making some more easily transportable.The heavier a seed the harder it is to disperse far away from the parent plant. The squirrel then without realizing it is benefiting this plant by carrying the seed farther away from its parent increasing its chance to germinate. Due to the fact that squirrels benefit from trees and trees can also benefit from squirrels they appear to have a mutualistic relationship. Squirrels rely on trees nuts and berries as a food source and certain trees rely on animal transportation as their only form of seed dispersal. Squirrels don't benefit trees individually, rather they help them on a larger scale acting as an intermediary for reproduction and survival.

 

Source:

www.rossoscoiattolo.eu/en/role-ecosystem

 

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