Squirrel in Holly

This photo was taken in front of Warwick on the UNCW campus on a nice warm day in February. I saw this squirrel scuttle into the leaves and quickly grabbed my phone to take a photo. I believe this tree is a member of the holly family based on the red berries that are evident in the upper right of the photo, the light-colored wood, and the slightly bent leaf tips. Apparently, contrary to popular belief, squirrels are omnivorous rather than herbivorous, and they frequently consume nuts and seeds as well as insects and sometimes small birds. I wonder if this squirrel was attempting to eat some of the holly berries before I disturbed it.

 

We might consider the fact that competition--both interspecific and intraspecific--could be at play here. This squirrel might be competing with other organisms for the berries on this tree, as various birds and mammals eat holly berries. However, this might be a case of a predator-prey relationship, as well: perhaps the squirrel was going for some insects in the tree instead. Unfortunately, my movement frightened it away before I had a chance to see.

 

Information on holly: www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ilop

Information on the dietary habits of squirrels: www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/omnivore/

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