Graduation Date
Summer 2020
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Science degree with a major in Biology
Committee Chair Name
Brian Carver
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Chris Brown
Keywords
a
Abstract
Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) are common and relatively abundant residents of Tennessee forests. They are often associated with mast-producing trees (ie. Quercus spp., oaks) and snags because they provide essential food resources and nest sites. However, they are widespread and occur in many different habitat types; including high-elevations in Eastern Tennessee where spruce-fir forests are dominant. Despite their extensive distribution, little is known about diel activity patterns or how factors such as elevation, temperature, or habitat composition influence timing and amount of activity. To better understand what influences activity, two passive monitoring methods (camera traps and acoustic detectors) were used to survey for southern flying squirrels across Middle and Eastern Tennessee. This effort resulted in 542 independent pictures and 183 independent calls of southern flying squirrels. Using the date and time stamps associated with each observation, southern flying squirrel activity persists throughout the night with slight peaks occurring about 2 hours after sunset and 4 hours prior to sunrise. The number of observations increased at sites with fewer total trees and larger diameter trees. Elevation did not significantly influence the timing of activity but southern flying squirrel activity occurred earlier after a one day drop in temperature and later after a one day increase in temperature, but did not shift following similar temperature changes over a 3-day time span. Determining the influences of both abiotic and biotic factors on timing and amount of activity can help understand the mechanisms influencing animal behavior.
Recommended Citation
Wogsland, Jason Robert, "Diel Activity Patterns of Southern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys Volans)" (2020). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2616.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2616