Gray Squirrel

Gray Squirrel what squirrels do. Be careful not to include anthropomorphic references in these definitions or include why the animal is doing what it did; describe only what it did! After determining the 5 or 6 behavior categories you would like to focus your observations on for the written project, construct 2 data sheets with which you can return to the field and utilize. On these data sheets you should have the behavior types or categories as column headings and increments of 30-second intervals (60 total) rows below these columns. This will allow you to efficiently quantify your subject’s behavior in the field. See example below. Part 2: During the next two observational periods you will utilize the “focal sampling” method to determine squirrel time budgets. You will record the activity of one individual in an urban or suburban environment and another in a natural setting. Try to conduct your two observational periods at the same time of day. Conduct these sessions as follows: 1. Allow the subject to become accustomed to your presence; while doing so you can get a general feeling for its behavior. 2. Once you begin, every 30 seconds record what the subject is doing at that instant by checking off one of the categories you have in its proper column of one of your data sheets at that time space. Try to follow the same individual for the entire session if possible (if not use different individuals to complete the period of observations at each habitat location). 3. At the end of your observation session add up the number of times each type of behavior was noted and calculate the percentage of time spent in each activity. 4. While gathering this focal sample data you may also want to note any additional interesting behavior. 5. Make a table summarizing you focal data for each individual. The table should be neat, clearly organized, and concise, and should have a clear title (legend) explaining what the table is presenting to the reader in a complete sentence or two. Part 3: Write a short paper utilizing the following sub-titles Introduction - introduce the ecology and behavioral characteristics of eastern gray squirrels. Ethogram - Give me your ethogram with the 5 focus behaviors. Describe the behaviors you decided were pertinent to observe in several clear and complete sentences. 0 Results - present your data you collected in table form that summarizes your field observations for each of your two subjects (a clearly organized description of “what” your squirrels each did), and compare the two squirrels time budgets. Note! I do not want your data sheets with the 30-second checkmarks! Just the summary table or graph giving the percentages of time spent in each activity by each squirrel in the paper! 0 Conclusion - did there seem to be any difl‘erences in the behavior of your two subjects and can you relate these behaviors to the habitats these two subjects live in. Your report should avoid any anthropomorphic inferences as to why the squirrels did what they did. Concentrate on what you saw and relate your observations to the environment each squirrel must survive in! Your report will be graded on the basis of Organization, Clarity, and Thoughtfulness (and obviously good grammar).