Wlf 315 Wildlife Ecology I Lab
Squirrel Re-sight Exercise
The purpose of this exercise is to collect data to estimate numbers of squirrels on the lawn area
around the Administration building (our selected population). Your assignment is to conduct
the re-sight exercise described below and to email the data to Bill by Oct. 23 at the latest. It is
best to do it as soon as you can after we mark the animals so that the ink marks are strongly
visible. We will compile the data from all the surveys, and as a class, we’ll work on the analyses
of population size at a later time.
Materials needed:
1. Binoculars. See the instructor or TA to check out a pair, if needed.
2. Watch.
3. Data sheet & something to write on.
Methods:
1. Schedule a time when you and a partner can spend approximately one hour observing
squirrels (during the next week). Preferably, this should be accomplished during the morning or
afternoon, when squirrels are most active. You may want to check out the area first to make
sure that squirrels are active before beginning the survey (their activity levels will change with
the weather/temperature). Your partner can be another person in your lab section, in the
other lab section, or just a friend who is interested/willing/coerced to help.
2. Choose a survey route that covers most of the following area: the lawn bounded by the
roads on the east and north sides, and by the circular drive that skirts the administration
building on the west side. The tennis courts should form the southern boundary. Choose a
path that goes through the trees and covers as much of the total area as possible.
3. As you walk along, record all squirrels observed and note if each squirrel is marked,
unmarked, or unknown (i.e., you could not determine if the squirrel was marked). Squirrels
may be either in the trees or on the ground. Use binoculars to get a good look at each animal.
Check for ear-tags if a dye mark is not visible (some may have readily visible ear-tags but only
faint dye marks). Try to keep track of squirrels to avoid counting the same individual twice.
4. Record the name of your partner, date, time of the start and finish of the exercise. Also,
note if your partner is in the lab and if so, which lab section (so we do not double count your
survey when compiling the data and so that you both get credit for doing the resight exercise).
5. Email a copy of the next page with the table and your names to Bill (wseybold@uidaho.edu)
by Sunday Oct. 23. We’ll use this information in lab to estimate population size.
Wlf 315 Wildlife Ecology I Lab
Name ____________________
Date______________
Partner____________________
Start time _________
Finish time ________
Check the appropriate column for each squirrel observed:
Marked
Column Totals:
Unmarked
__________ _________
Total # of squirrels observed: _____________
Unknown
__________