What Environmental and Social Forces Drive Squirrels to Nest in Pairs during the Winter?
Michelle Rome Abstract-Observations have shown that during the winter two squirrels will share a nest, while in the summer squirrels live alone. Living in groups poses many constraints on an animal, and the specific benefits to each member of the group must outweigh these costs. The specific constraints of the winter season for squirrels result in the outweighing benefits of nesting in pairs. I propose a cost and benefit analysis of why squirrels nest in pairs during the winter months while nesting in alone during the summer. I explain 4 hypotheses and relevant experiments to test what specific benefits a squirrel receives by nesting in a pair. Two of the hypotheses test for overall greater benefits during the winter season, while the latter two hypotheses test for overall greater benefits during the breeding season.
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