Union’s eastern fox squirrel population

In the tree outside my dorm window, there is a squirrel drey. For the last five semesters, I’ve watched the little critters assemble their nest of leaves for the winter, race each other up and down the tree trunk and steal bread from the police station trash can. Sometimes I’m woken up by their chattering, but I don’t mind. It’s part of the Union College experience.

Union loves its unofficial rodent mascots. The Joshua C. Turner Arboretum is home to a large population of eastern fox squirrels who are living the good life on french fries, donuts, Colby Ridge popcorn and other junk food. Once I watched one run up a tree with a pudding cup. Not only do they dumpster-dive for their food, but they will come up to students eating outside looking for treats. These furry choosing-beggars won’t eat your broccoli, carrots and asparagus. They’re holding out for the good stuff. Don’t give in to those cute little faces; we all have to do our part to keep the squirrels hypertension-free.

Our squirrels are part of the campus year-round. In the fall, they can be found fattening up for the winter and building their nests, or dreys, out of leaves or in tree cavities. Occasionally, they’ll “bomb” the Ortner terrace with acorns from the oak trees nearby. During the winter, the squirrels hunker down with their babies, only venturing out to find a snack or two. In the spring, they emerge, slimmed and snatched from their winter fasting and ready for their hot squirrel summer.

Long-time Lincoln residents will tell you that Union’s squirrels used to be black. I visited the campus as a child, and can confirm that the squirrels were melanistic, meaning they had a genetic mutation that gave them black fur. However, today’s squirrels are pale and basic. When I arrived at Union, I asked what happened to the black squirrels. Rumor has it that the reddish squirrels we have today moved into campus, started a turf war with the original black squirrels and then took over. While I have no proof of this, it still paints a very fun mental image. If you want to see black squirrels, I suggest you talk a walk over at Holmes Lake. There is a small population of melanistic squirrels there.

By: Annika Cambigue