Eastern Gray Squirrel Research Paper

I. The Introduction A. The scientific name: Sciurus carolinensis (Wikipedia). B. The common name(s): Eastern gray squirrel, grey squirrel, cat squirrel, or migratory squirrel (Smithsonian). C. The area of residence: North America, New Jersey and Southampton Township for the city. D. The specific biome: The temperate deciduous forest (UCMP Berkeley).

II. The Body: A. Background: Eastern gray squirrels normally have narrow, elongated body. Their fur consists of a mixture of dark brown, black, gray covering from head to tail on the backside and all four paws, and a white chest and belly. Fluffy tail, big almond shaped black eyes, small round ears, all paws have five digits and the front

Life Cycle: The Eastern gray squirrel female becomes fertile about a year old, the male is sexually active about the same time to two years. The can breed two times a year. Usually in late spring and late winter, in which the gestation period is about 45 days. Born with pink and no fur, stays with mother about 10 weeks, leaves nest around the 12th week. Survival is rare in the wild past the second year (Lawniczak). C. Structure and Function: The Eastern gray squirrel respiratory system is no different from that of a human. They breathe air in through the nose, into the lungs absorbing the oxygen, down to the heart, streaming through the blood, throughout the body and reverses back out the mouth. D. Evolution: The evolution of the eastern gray squirrel dates back to Eocene Epoch in the North American region and the Miocene Epoch Eurasia and Africa (Britanica).

a. Fossil evidence from a squirrel was determined to be 36 millions years old found in North America (Basgall).

b. The phylogentic history brought a wide change to

Include a brief summary (1-2 sentences) about the ecological role of your chosen organism in its ecosystem. E. Wrap up the conclusive section with a closing note that provides brief information about a unique fact and/or behavior of your chosen organism.

IV. Reference section: Eastern Gray Squirrel. (2018). Wikipedia, the Free Encylopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel. Lawniczak, M. K. (n.d.). Eastern grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis. Retrieved from http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Sciurus_carolinensis/ Mercer, J. M., & Roth, V. L. (2003). The Effects of Cenozoic Global Change on Squirrel Phylogeny. Science, 299(5612), 1568-72. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/213583204?accountid=8289 Rodentia · Sciuridae · Sciurus carolinensis. (n.d.). Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History. Retrieved from https://naturalhistory.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=298 Steppan, S. J. & Hamm, S. M. (2006). Sciuridae. Squirrels. In The Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved from http://tolweb.org/Sciuridae The Forest Biome. (n.d.). UCMP Berkeley. Retrieved from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/forests.html -