Every squirrel has a science story to tell, but, sadly, squirrels vastly outnumber squirrel scientists. That’s where you, the intrepid citizen scientist, come in. Try out the squirrel projects in this newsletter, along with other squirrel-centric and squirrel-adjacent projects you’ll find with the handy SciStarter Project Finder, and help sort out the many mysteries of our favorite wild rodent.
Cheers!
The SciStarter Team
What sorts of squirrels live near you? Researchers at Project Squirrel want to know, with an emphasis on the three most common tree squirrels: Eastern Gray Squirrels, Fox Squirrels and Red Squirrels. Learn how to identify them, tally them up on the Project Squirrel Survey form, and share them with the scientists.
Location: Online
SquirrelMapper focuses on a Squirrel of Many Colors: the Eastern Gray. Despite its name, it can be gray, black or (rarely) white. Studying where and under what conditions these “color morphs” occur will help scientists understand how the process of evolution can happen rapidly when there are substantial changes to a habitat.
Location: Online
Celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day by checking out SciStarter’s social media squirrel campaign! You’ll go on a SquirrelMapper hunt with Emma Giles and her squirrel-seeking dog, Rosie, learn amazing squirrel facts., and generally bask in the glow of our nature-loving online community. And don’t forget to comment and share!
Location: Online
Squirrels that share habitat with rattlesnakes will seek out the snakes’ discarded skins and rub them all over their fur– presumably to make them smell like a snake rather than a tasty squirrel. Learn more amazing squirrel facts in our new TikTok video!
