Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Response to Bark Calls

Indianapolis, IN

When in the presence of predators or perceived threats Sciurus niger (fox squirrel) will produce a characteristic bark. It has long been assumed that the bark serves as an alarm call to warn fellow squirrels in the area. However, to date, no definitive research has been conducted to prove these assumptions. Over the course of six months, I executed an audio playback study around the Indianapolis area. When a squirrel came into view, its behavior was video recorded during a 30 second playing of either an S. niger bark call or a cardinal (Cardinalis cardinals) call, which served as a control. The subjects were also filmed thirty seconds prior to and immediately following the call. The squirrel's behavior was scored following a pre-determined ethogram and it was determined that S. niger does in fact respond to the bark as an alarm signal.