Little is known about the adaptive significance of vigilance behavior in grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) in east-central Indiana. Moreover, vigilance behavior in squirrels often differs among habitat types. In this study my objective was to determine if vigilance behavior in grey squirrels differs between areas of low and high levels of human activity.Information on vigilance behavior was collected during 855 times of 10second observation periods. Vigilant behavior was recorded each time a squi`6l stopped what it was doing and became vigilant (i.e., looked about its surrounding) during an observation period. Vigilance was monitored in two areas that differ in the amount of activity (high disturbance area) and the other area received little human activity (low disturbance area) In the wood and open area.Vigilant behavior was recorded from two distance categories (0 - 5, and > 5 meters) with respect to distance the squirrel appeared from the nearest tree or closest squirrel.Vigilance behavior in grey squirrels did not differ between a high disturbance area and a low disturbance area. The data suggested that the role of vigilance in grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) is functioning for predator avoidance and to identification of potential competitors. There was no special pattern variation of vigilance behavior between the different habitats investigated. There was no difference of squirrel vigilance behavior between disturbed and undisturbed wood but there was significant difference of vigilant behavior in disturbed open area and in undisturbed open area. / Department of Biology

Although female Richardson’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii) spend 80% of their lives sleeping and hibernating underground, studies on interactions and space-use have historically focused on the 20% of the time they spend aboveground. The type and frequency of aboveground interactions and degree of home-range overlap among female Richardson’s ground squirrels depend on their reproductive status and degree of kinship. The purpose of my study was to determine whether reproductive status and kinship influence underground sharing of space as well. I radio-collared 54 adult female Richardson’s ground squirrels (18 in 2008, 30 in 2009, and 6 in both years) of known maternal kinship in 5 spatially adjacent matrilines at a field site near Picture Butte, Alberta, Canada. Radio-collared females were located underground every evening after they retired and every morning before they emerged during both the 2008 and 2009 active seasons to determine sleep-site use and sleep-site sharing. The locations at which females were observed to retire in the evening (170 evenings) and emerge in the morning (141 mornings) in 2008 and 2009 were used to determine underground connections between surface entrances and underground sleep sites. Females commonly shared burrow systems, sleep sites, surface entrances, and underground connections after emergence from hibernation until mid-pregnancy and they shared again, though less frequently, after litters had been weaned, but they never shared underground features during lactation and hibernation. Close kin shared underground space more frequently than distant kin, and distant kin more frequently than non-kin. Variation in underground sharing of space over the active season and selective sharing with respect to kinship suggest that reproductive status and degree of kinship influence underground sharing. / xii, 121 leaves ; 29 cm

Master of Science