506 



Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 



Vol. 23, Art. 5 



squirrels. While these nuts are available, 

 squirrels travel greater distances for them 

 than for any other food and lose to a 

 greater degree their altertness to danger 

 when feeding on them. Pecans and black 

 walnuts also rank high. Among fox 

 squirrels living in farm habitats where 



nuts are absent, the fruit of the Osage 

 orange seems to rank next to corn as a 

 preferred food, and in numerous instances 

 was taken in winter, even when acorns 

 were available, fig. 27. In the early 

 spring, elm buds and seeds are the most 

 used foods of both squirrel species ; in May 



Fig. 26. — Two hickory trees, heavily fruited, known to have supplied niuch of the food of 3 

 20 or more Coles County squirrels (both fox and gray) from late August until late September 

 in 1943. 



