Biology of Business

Eastern Gray Squirrel

TL;DR

The Eastern gray squirrel is the chapter's central organism, demonstrating the costs and benefits of distributed storage (caching).

Sciurus carolinensis

Mammal · Eastern North American forests, urban parks

By Alex Denne

The Eastern gray squirrel is the chapter's central organism, demonstrating the costs and benefits of distributed storage (caching). Each squirrel buries 3,000-10,000 acorns annually, spending 42-62 hours on burial alone. With 70-80% retrieval rates, 20-30% of caches are never recovered - but these become oak trees, making squirrels the primary dispersal mechanism for oak forests.

Notable Traits of Eastern Gray Squirrel

  • Caches 3,000-10,000 acorns annually
  • 70-80% retrieval rate using spatial memory
  • Unretrieved acorns become oak trees

Related Mechanisms for Eastern Gray Squirrel

Related Organisations for Eastern Gray Squirrel

Related Research for Eastern Gray Squirrel