. Bulletin. Natural history; Natural history. 496 Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin Vol. 23, Art. 5 200,000 or more squirrels are resident in municipal areas in the state. Stripmines, which provide an unimpor- tant habitat in the state, are best repre- sented in Vermilion, Perry, Saline and Fulton counties (Yeager 1942), fig. 20. Only in Vermilion County has forest suc- cession in this type of habitat advanced far enough to attract gray squirrels. The cover usually found in stripmine areas is an early stage of river-bottom forest, consisting mainly of Cottonwood, syca- more, willows, el
. Bulletin. Natural history; Natural history. 496 Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin Vol. 23, Art. 5 200,000 or more squirrels are resident in municipal areas in the state. Stripmines, which provide an unimpor- tant habitat in the state, are best repre- sented in Vermilion, Perry, Saline and Fulton counties (Yeager 1942), fig. 20. Only in Vermilion County has forest suc- cession in this type of habitat advanced far enough to attract gray squirrels. The cover usually found in stripmine areas is an early stage of river-bottom forest, consisting mainly of Cottonwood, syca- more, willows, elms and maples, a com- bination low in quality as all-year range. Buds, flowers and seeds of trees, and fruits of brambles and wild strawberries offer an appreciable amount of spring and summer forage. Hickory nuts and acorns are seldom represented in these stands. Probably not more than a few hundred squirrels, most of which are fox squirrels, are resident on Illinois stripped lands. FOODS AND FEEDING In this investigation no study of squir- rel foods based on detailed laboratory anal- ysis of stomach contents was attempted. Through 2 years of field work, however, every opportunity to observe and record squirrel feeding was utilized. Many as- pects of the study—particularly those as- sociated with collecting specimens, trap- ping live animals and making inspections of den boxes—were well adapted to the making of reliable observations. In 716 hours devoted to hunting, several hundred records on squirrel feeding were gathered. Although the nature of the data precludes quantitative evaluation, the writers be- lieve that a good general picture of feed- ing, based on frequency of observation, was obtained. In the following discussion, as well as in table 22, no food is listed unless squirrels were observed eating it, or unless other positive evidence of its having been eaten was obtained. Food remains of squirrels were easily distinguished from those of other rodents by the loca
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