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Holiday Lights Create Light Pollution And Become Ecological Trap For Eastern Fox Squirrels: Case Study On A University Campus, Scott E. Henke, David B. Wester, Cord B. Eversole
Holiday Lights Create Light Pollution And Become Ecological Trap For Eastern Fox Squirrels: Case Study On A University Campus, Scott E. Henke, David B. Wester, Cord B. Eversole
Human–Wildlife Interactions
Ecological light pollution is now recognized as a significant source of ecosystem alteration. We documented that holiday lights are a seasonal source of light pollution that constitute an ecological trap for eastern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger). Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) wildlife students surveyed a 2-km walking transect 5 times per month each month for the relative abundance and diel behavior of eastern fox squirrels and feral cats (Felis catus) on the TAMUK campus during 2018–2019. Eastern fox squirrels exhibited diurnal behaviors throughout the year but extended their foraging behavior nearly 4 hours after sunset with the …