The project had two main objectives: 1. Determination of squirrel breeding seasons and related biology, the information derived to be used in recommending biologically sound squirrel hunting seasons. 2. Determination of the environmental requirements of Illinois squirrels, the information on this subject to be used in management and restoration practices. Field work covered a 4-year period, 1940-1943. No completely satisfactory census technique was developed. The western fox squirrel (Sciurus niger rufiventris) inhabits most wooded areas, including small woodlots and hedgerows, in every Illinois county. The gray squirrel (S. carolinensis leucotis and/or 5. c. carolinensis) occurs in all Illinois counties except some on the black prairie. It is confined to dense forest stands and is most numerous in those with brushy understory in the river bluffs and bottoms areas. The red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus loquax) was not found in Illinois by the writers. Both fox and gray squirrels have two breeding seasons per year, the first in winter and spring and the second in spring and summer. Second-season litters appear to be confined largely to vigorous females over 18 months old. Both spring-born and summer-born animals attain sexual maturity at the age of about 10 to 12 months, and the females produce their first young when approximately a year old.
Publisher
Champaign : Illinois Natural History Survey
Series/Report Name or Number
Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin; v. 023, no. 05
ISSN
0073-4918
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44842
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2009 University of Illinois Board of Trustees. All rights reserved.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
