Colin+Wiencek+-+Delmarva+Fox+Squirrel

Delmarva Fox Squirrel
 * [[image:Wiencek_Squirrel_2.jpg width="200" height="153" align="right" caption="Delmarva Fox Squirrel, 10/5/2009" link="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34323709@N07/3608256185/"]]Common Name :**

Sciurus Niger Cinereus
 * Scientific Name :**

The Delmarva fox squirrel lives in places that you expect most normal squirrels to live in. Its natural/historic habitat is in the forest in and wetlands of the Delmarva penninsula, but as humans have encrouched on their natural habitat the fox squirrel has increasingly been living in residential areas where they are prone to being hit by cars. Also as forest have been cut down and wetlands have been drained for use in housing and other human developments the resources available for this animal have decreased.
 * Natural Habitat and Location :**

This squirel serves an important purpose in the ecology of the Delmarva area. The squirrel lives a solitary life and spreads nuts and seeds around its habitat which helps plants reproduce in new areas. It does this through exriment and by hiding nuts for it to eat in the winter time. The squirrel is mostly active during the day and is known to be one of the most timid of squirrels, even though it is one of the largest (nearly twice the size of an average grey squirrel). The squirrel lives much the same way as a grey squirrel and spends most of its time searching for food, however grey squirrels have been more successful in the Delmarva area because they can reproduce at an earlier age which allows them to reproduce more often and increase their population faster. Grey squirrels can reproduce within 1 years, while the Delmarva Fox Squirrel can reproduce within 1.25 years. Also, the Delmarva Fox Squirrel can only reproduce once a year where as the grey squirrel can reproduce as often as twice a year. The fox squirrel also provides food for many medium and large sized predators, such as hawks.
 * Niche :[[image:colin_hawk.jpg align="right" caption="The hawk is one of the fox squirrels major predators."]]**

This species was originally listed as endangered in 1967. It has become endangered mostly because of forest being destroyed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to make room for human development. This has caused the environment in which this squirrel can inhabit to shrink and with less resources less squirrels can be supported. Many roads built on the Eastern Shore cut through prime Fox Squirrel habitat which puts fox squirrels at a risk to be run over and killed. Currently there are housing projects that are being proposed that would farther threaten this species existance, even though this is a direct violation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 which gaurentees the preservation of the habitats of organisms lists as endangered. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 was one of a series of laws passed in the 1970's to protected endangered plants and animals, as well as the environment. The act required funding from the state and fedderal government to do everything in the governments power to a) stop the extinction of the animal and b) repopulate the animal by restoring its environment.
 * Endangered Because :**

The first plan to preserve the Delmarva fox squirrel species happened in 1979 and was revised in 1983 and 1993. The goal of these plans is to protect the environment that the squirrels inhabit and restore the population of the animal. This is accomplished by the protection of forests and encouraging private land owners and loggers to allow nut bearing trees to not be cut down, which helps provide food for the squirrel. Also, the fox squirrel has been introduced into several locations in Maryland and Virginia in the hopes of the animal getting reestablished in its full former territory. Between 1969 and 1971 30 fox squirrels were reintroduced onto the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and current estimes show that there are now more than 300 inhabiting the island, within three years it was documented that the area inhabited by the squirrels had increased. Also, hedges have been planted near roads to serve as natural fences to keep the squirrels from running onto roads and being killed. These conservation efforts will not only help the Delmarva fox squirrel survive but it will also allow other animals that depend on the natural forests and wetlands of the Delmarva penninsula to survive. To collect data on the progress of the restoration efforts information is collected about fox squirrels every five years at six different research stations around the state of Maryland: Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge; Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge; Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge; Maryland's Wye Island Natural Resource Management Area and LeCompte Wildlife Management Area; and a private property site. Current estimates show the the fox squirrels population is improving and that it will be possible to fully restore the population of the fox squirrel in the future, though proposed housing developments on Maryland's eastern shore could completely change the chances of this species.
 * Conservation Efforts :[[image:colin_delmarva_map.gif width="217" height="367" align="right" caption="The Delmarva Fox Squirrel is found mostly in private land and protected forests on the Delmarva Peninsula." link="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34323709@N07/3608256185/"]]**

“Critter Corner: Delmarva Fox Squirrel.” //RefugeNet.org//. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2009. [].
 * Sources**

“Delmarva Fox Squirrel.” //Chesapeake Bay Field Office//. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2009. [].

“Delmarva Fox Squirrel: Shore Lore & Legacy.” //Maryland Government//. Maryland Government, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. [].

“Endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel.” //Wildlife Advocacy//. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2009. .

Koprowski, John L. “Sciurus Niger.” //The American Society of Mammalogists// 479 (Dec. 1994): 1-9. //Smith College//.