College squirrels are the stars of campus. I can always count on them to brighten up my walks, often catching them in the middle of stashing away their treasures, leading them to usually freeze and stare, thinking I’m going to steal their livelihoods. As common as they are, the squirrels of college campuses are incredibly unique. Being a dorm-living student at the University of Connecticut, it’s interesting to think about how we share the same campus and live in tandem with one another. In this article, I’m going to explore the fascinating lives of these critters, their history, and their special attributes.
The main species of the squirrels residing at UConn are eastern gray squirrels, or more officially, sciurus carolinensis. These highly adaptive squirrels are among the most recognizable in the country and are said to be the most common animal in Connecticut. At UConn, I view them as an extension to the schools’ already very large student population. I don’t make notes on the number of squirrels I see per day — because why would I? — but the thought of a walk around UConn without a squirrel sighting does feel peculiar.
It makes sense why these guys love living at UConn, and college campuses in general. The squirrel species evolved approximately 55 million years ago, and for the past 25 million years, have diversified into living between trees and the ground. UConn, a campus known for its abundance of nature, has a large number of beautiful trees, with its own Campus Tree Guide. On top of that, college campuses provide protection for these small rodents, lacking typical predators like coyotes, foxes, and wolves. Squirrels and students alike can bond in gratitude for this protection; if I were walking late at night and saw a wolf, I would truly freeze and die right there.
For the most part, the birds and squirrels of UConn are able to live in co-existent peace with one another as they don’t have to compete for resources. The squirrels are always burying away their acorns, which the birds have no interest in. They also love to go after our trash! But here at UConn we do have a couple of hawks flying around, as well as bald eagles, opportunistic predators squirrels have to keep wary of.
Moving on, how do college campus squirrels feel about us? Compared to squirrels living in desolate forests, they are exposed to us humans a lot. Perhaps to them, all humans naturally wear backpacks? Overall, we pose as low-risk threats, leading them to not really care for us, which is oddly sweet! At the same time, though, squirrels do tend to freeze up around us humans quite often, this being a defense mechanism in avoiding self-detection and scanning for sensory information. They know for the most part that we mean no harm, but they must play it safe for themselves, especially when burying their treasures.
A lot of college students find it fun to interact with the squirrels on their campuses! It’s important that this be done with caution, as sometimes squirrels can become aggressive when expecting food, but I definitely see why it’s tempting! I have always, very badly, wanted a pet squirrel. Students on TikTok have shared a variety of videos showcasing how the squirrels of their campuses are special creatures to interact with.
See below: A photogenic UConn squirrel making use of the sidewalk.
One of my friends is even conducting an experiment on the squirrels here at UConn. She and her research partner, as part of their animal behavior class, are testing whether squirrels react differently to various bird calls, hypothesizing that they behave differently in reaction to the sounds of predatory birds. Unlike other classes where the test subjects arrive right in the classroom, my friend and her partner are able to test on UConn squirrels in their natural habitat.
In past centuries, humans have actually played a direct role in introducing squirrels to urban settings. Seen by early city planners as amusing attractions to draw in pedestrians, squirrels were intentionally placed in settings like Philadelphia and Boston, and since then have grown in population exponentially. Urban settings and college campuses are now viewed as their natural ecosystems, being as much of their home as it is ours.
Squirrels are essential creatures to society and college campuses especially. They add to campuses biodiversity, help to plant trees, and are reminders to stay joyous and connected with nature, which is something all of us college students need. As we become swept away with classes and assignments, it’s easy to forget the beautiful world around us. It’s always important to enjoy our time here on campus and acknowledge the creatures we share it with, who are as used to us as we are to them.