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The Fox squirrel
This is the fox squirrel, scientifically known as the Sciurius niger. The fox squirrel is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. The fox squirrel has no sexual dimorphism, meaning there is a distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of an animal along with difference between the sexual organs. In terms of life cycle, the fox squirrel is able to meet at any time of the year but mating usually reaches its peak in December and June. 45 days after meeting, the female birds produce a litter of two to four young, and she may have two liters a year. This reproduction pattern follows a few, high probability of survival pattern. Female fox squirrels are able to mate with several males, but the males complete for who mates first, and this mating system is referred to as Polygynadrous. The fox squirrel is a solitary animal that spends most of the day eating, gathering, And storing food. Usually, it nests in a tree hollow. Fox squirrels seemed to spend most of the time sitting or lying during the first few hours spent outside the nest. This suggests that fox squirrels have adopted a slow life history strategy involving long periods of rest on trees and short periods of ground activity each day. Some examples of adaptations for climbing include sharp recurved claws, well developed extensors of digits and flexors of the forearm, and abdominal musculature
Sources:
Week 4 lecture- life history
Week 6 lectures- evolution
animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sciurus_niger/
The Fox squirrel
This is the fox squirrel, scientifically known as the Sciurius niger. The fox squirrel is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. The fox squirrel has no sexual dimorphism, meaning there is a distinct difference in size or appearance between the sexes of an animal along with difference between the sexual organs. In terms of life cycle, the fox squirrel is able to meet at any time of the year but mating usually reaches its peak in December and June. 45 days after meeting, the female birds produce a litter of two to four young, and she may have two liters a year. This reproduction pattern follows a few, high probability of survival pattern. Female fox squirrels are able to mate with several males, but the males complete for who mates first, and this mating system is referred to as Polygynadrous. The fox squirrel is a solitary animal that spends most of the day eating, gathering, And storing food. Usually, it nests in a tree hollow. Fox squirrels seemed to spend most of the time sitting or lying during the first few hours spent outside the nest. This suggests that fox squirrels have adopted a slow life history strategy involving long periods of rest on trees and short periods of ground activity each day. Some examples of adaptations for climbing include sharp recurved claws, well developed extensors of digits and flexors of the forearm, and abdominal musculature
Sources:
Week 4 lecture- life history
Week 6 lectures- evolution
animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sciurus_niger/