1 June 2013 Catching Arctic Ground Squirrels 101

Catching Arctic Ground Squirrels 101

Yesterday was my first day in the field, so I got a crash course in squirrel catching 101! Here’s the scoop. After breakfast, we packed lunches to take into the field with us and signed out on the board in the dining hall (to let the kitchen know we would not be there for lunch and for safety)

Next, Cory, Kate, and I loaded into the truck and drove about 20 minutes south of Toolik Field Station to our research site on the east side of the Atigun river. Just before we left for our research site, Cory surprised Kate and I with the exciting news that we get to wear stylish fanny packs to hold maps, carrots, a knife, and other trapping supplies. I think we look stunning. Cory wasn't interested in being photographed wearing his fanny pack, but trust me; he is just as stylish as Kate and me!

Arctic ground squirrel research has been going on at this location for several years, so more than 136 burrow locations are marked with numbered stakes and plotted on a map that we use in the field. These numbered stakes are important for data collection, navigation, and also for returning squirrels to the correct location when we finish with them in the lab.

Setting a trap is pretty simple. First, we locate the burrow (not hard, there are burrows everywhere at our research site!). Next, we set two traps near the burrow, baited with tasty carrot pieces. The traps are cages that have a metal plate on the bottom. When the squirrel steps inside to eat the carrot and steps on the metal plate, the door closes behind them, trapping them inside the cage.

When we catch a squirrel, we can get some basic information from colored and numbered ear tags on squirrels that have been caught previously to help us determine if we should bring the animal back to the lab with us or release it.

If we need to take the squirrel back to the lab, we mark the cage with the burrow number where we caught it so that we can return it to the same location later. There you have it: Squirrel trapping 101! Check future blogs for more details and remember to ask questions in the “Ask the Team” section!