Transcript Delmarva Fox Squirrels and the Endangered Species Act

Effect of the Endangered Species Act on the
Recovery of the Delmarva Fox Squirrel
James Koubek, Michael Scott & Molly Graham
Characteristics of Delmarva Fox Squirrels
Why do we care?
Effects of Endangered Species Act
•Sciurus niger cinereus
•Average adult is 1 - 3 Lbs
•Can grow up to 30 inches in length with the tail
being half of their length
•Frosty Grey color with black tips on the end of
the hairs
•Almost twice the size of a normal grey squirrel
The Delmarva Fox Squirrel is endemic to the
Eastern Shore area and was placed on the
Endangered Species list in 1967. We felt that it
was important to look at the recovery efforts for
this species because the Delmarva Fox Squirrel
is a localized example of how human activity
can drive a species from its own habitat.
•After its inclusion in 1967, the Delmarva Fox
Squirrel occupied 10% of its historical range.
•In 1968 attempts were made to translocate the
squirrel into unoccupied habitat. 11 out of 17
sites were considered to be successful
•The DFS can be found in all Eastern Shore of
Maryland counties, parts of Delaware and
Pennsylvania. And by 2000 it was no longer
being monitored
Behavior
•Move along floor between trees, and to forage
for food
•Slow moving
•Most active in morning and mid afternoon with
varying activity due to abundance of food
Threats:
Habitat
•Mature Pine and Hardwood forests
•Open Understory
•Adjacent to agricultural fields
•Relatively small range, but needs open forests
not fragmented
•Lots of seed and fruit bearing trees
•Nooks in mature trees for reproduction
• Residential and Commercial DevelopmentDue to an increased rate of commercial and
residential development, the amount of old
growth forests in the Delmarva Fox Squirrel’s
habitat area has decreased greatly in the last
30 years. Noise pollution from human activity
is also affecting the Squirrel’s diet and
breeding habits.
• Timber harvest- Forestry takes away the
diversity of plants that the squirrels need for
food and foraging.
• Vehicular Strikes- Lack of forests causes an
increased vulnerability to vehicular strikes.
• Climate Change/ Sea Level Rise- Much of
the fox squirrel’s habitat is on the coastline.
The rise in sea level will result in the loss of
coastal forests and salinization of habitats.
Places like Blackwater National Wildlife
Refuge are particularly vulnerable to this.
Our Trip to Blackwater
Our group took an advised field trip with Dr.
Hatley to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
on Sunday November 17, 2013. Although we
were unable to view any Delmarva Fox
Squirrels in their habitat, it gave us a better
understanding about the ecosystem in which
they live. Also their sensitivity to noise was
made apparent by the lack of a sighting. It
shows their sensitivity to human activity, and
even a small group of four could prevent them
from being in the open.
Copyright © 2013
Steve Raia. All rights
reserved