Found A Peanut: Foraging Decisions by Squirrels

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the procedure to conduct an experiment to observe foraging behavior of squirrels and determine whether they prefer peanuts without shells over peanuts with shells, or vice versa. This experiment tests some of the importance factors to local squirrels foraging on peanuts. It involves offering squirrels two piles of peanuts: one pile inside intact shells (no cracks or holes) and another pile with the shells removed. In order to equalize the chances of the squirrels finding both piles, they should be kept only a short distance apart, so that a squirrel foraging at either pile will have the other in view. After collecting the data, the results would be explained in terms of models of foraging from behavioral ecology. The chapter presents sample data sheets that would be used to analyze the recorded data. Finally, the chapter suggests some questions for discussion at the conclusion of the experiment, for example, what are the factors that seemed important to the squirrels in determining whether they choose nuts with or without shells, what they do with each kind of nuts, how many of either of these kinds of nuts did a squirrel carry at the same time, and why is this information relevant, etc.