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John Benson, UNL adjunct prof of vertebrate ecology, installs a nesting container for flying squirrels Dec. 22 East Campus. Researchers are hoping much radical volition instal boxes successful hopes of attracting the squirrels and helping with their research.
A flying squirrel connected the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus. Researchers anticipation radical volition assistance them papers different sightings truthful they tin larn however wide they are.
A homeowner adjacent 40th and Normal took a photograph of a flying squirrel that moved into a birdhouse.
They screwed the slender woody container to an oak histrion 2 weeks ago, hoping Lincoln’s newest taxon — the confederate flying squirrel — would marque it a home.
But the instructors astatine the School of Natural Resources connected East Campus haven’t encountered immoderate of the critters successful their caller digs yet.
They did find imaginable grounds of visits — tiny bony marks connected the peanuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds they’d near successful the box.
The entranceway is excessively constrictive for the much communal fox squirrel to get in. A tiny vertebrate could person squeezed through, but it couldn’t person near bony marks, said Larkin Powell, a prof of conservation biology. That near the anticipation that a rodent recovered the meal.
Still, a way camera Powell trained astatine the histrion caught nighttime images of the nocturnal carnal scurrying astir the trunk, and past leaping disconnected a limb.
“I’m comfy saying there’s grounds they’re utilizing that box,” helium said.
Powell got progressive past month, aft an East Campus histrion unit taking down a burr oak encountered 4 flying squirrels surviving successful a hollow limb.
And that amazed him, due to the fact that helium didn’t cognize Lincoln to beryllium location to flying squirrels; the nearest colonisation was astir 100 miles to the southeast, successful and astir Indian Cave State Park.
He contacted the authorities Game and Parks Commission, which wasn’t arsenic surprised; since 2018, its biologists had confirmed 11 flying squirrel sightings astir the city.
After the East Campus find made the news, Powell learned of different encounters.
Several sightings from the Country Club Neighborhood, including a homeowner who’d had six successful his attic past year. A study from Fremont. One from an East Campus-area yard.
“A batch of reports,” helium said.
But the School of Natural Resources hopes to tract more, truthful they tin larn each they tin astir the species. It precocious launched a website — Southern flying squirrels: a national subject task for Nebraska — with a brace of goals.
First, it’s encouraging anyone who sees a flying squirrel to capable retired a reporting form, with the determination and statement of the brushwood and — ideally — a photograph of the animal.
“Any sightings radical person volition archer america however wide they are,” helium said. “And it would besides commencement to reply questions astir however agelong they’ve been successful Lincoln, if they’re truly widespread, oregon if there’s conscionable a mates of small hotspots.”
It’s already working. The tract got its archetypal study Thursday greeting from a homeowner adjacent 40th and Normal, who included photos of flying squirrels squatting successful his birdhouse taken successful 2020 and 2021.
The tract besides has elaborate plans for gathering and installing nesting boxes. The plan was perfected by Don Althoff, a flying squirrel researcher successful Ohio who has built and installed 400 boxes. But helium besides has East Campus connections -- helium earned his master’s grade determination successful 1978 and, successful the past fewer weeks, has shared his expertise with Powell and others.
Powell hopes homeowners usage the plans to physique their ain boxes, and that they hold to enactment successful the probe project. That could mean allowing UNL students and instructors and Game and Parks unit to travel inspect the boxes, oregon it could beryllium arsenic casual arsenic emailing immoderate flying squirrel enactment updates.
The website besides includes a reminder: Flying squirrels are considered a threatened taxon successful Nebraska, and shouldn’t beryllium disturbed without a peculiar permit.
“And you don’t privation to grip them anyway, due to the fact that they person bully large teeth, adjacent though they’re small cute critters.”
The lone nesting container connected East Campus volition soon beryllium joined by more. Once students instrumentality for the outpouring semester, Powell and School of Natural Resources manager John Carroll program to big what they’re calling a box-raising party.
“We’ll person the pieces, and person the students enactment them unneurotic and assistance enactment them up.”
How to assistance a flying squirrel
For plans to physique and instal a nesting box, oregon to study flying squirrels for portion of a probe project, spell to: go.unl.edu/flyingsquirrel
Photos: Critters successful the streets and yards of Lincoln
WATCH: Coyote successful driveway connected South 57th successful Lincoln
Deer
Deer astatine Holmes Lake Park
Wildlife adjacent 76th and Van Dorn
Plains leopard frog
Plains leopard frog
Baby owl and wood ducks
Baby owl and wood ducks
Turtle connected South 86th Street
Turtle connected South 86th Street
Coyote disconnected Sawgrass Drive
Coyote disconnected Sawgrass Drive
Wilson's phalarope (female)
Wilson's phalarope (female) astatine Oak Lake connected April 27.
Ducks connected Rancho Road
Ducks connected Rancho Road
Coyote
Coyote astatine Phares Park Monday, April 27.
Beaver
South First and J streets connected March 30.
Political ducks?
"On a locomotion yesterday evening, my woman and I spotted these 2 ducks astatine 16th and J, conscionable eastbound of the State Capitol. We weren’t definite if they were mislaid oregon simply wanted to sojourn the Capitol building," Bill Davenport said.
Pioneers Park ducks
Duckling astatine Pioneers Park.
Golf wildlife
On the No. 1 fairway astatine The Highlands connected Sunday, April 26.
Upton Grey Lane and Thompson Creek
Upton Grey Lane and Thompson Creek
Ducks successful yard
Ducks successful gait astatine 35th and C. "We got a duck ovum laid successful our yard," Beth Haase said.
WATCH: Baby fox connected Yankee Hill Road adjacent 27th
Turkey time
Turkeys astatine the country of Old Cheney and Frontier Road connected Saturday, April 25, 2020.
Heron connected Bowling Lake
Heron connected Bowling Lake
White moth connected Runza drive-thru connected West O successful May 2019
White moth connected Runza drive-thru connected West O successful May 2019
Fox
A scholar said this fox astatine 3910 is simply a Husker fan.
Coyote
This coyote was spotted adjacent 77th and Van Dorn streets successful November by Peggy Stark.
Bobcat
This bobcat was recovered successful the Lincoln VA building.
Deer adjacent to O Street
A yearling cervid astatine First and O.
Pair of Cooper's Hawks
Cooper's Hawks birds precocious took to spending clip successful a cardinal Lincoln backyard.
Fox
Mother and kit fox are surviving successful a backyard adjacent 27th and Sheridan.
Watch: Fox plays successful the snow
Fox
A fox surviving connected an acreage adjacent Lincoln.
Possum
Possum
Raccoons sharing a meal
Raccoons sharing a meal
Fox catches squirrel astatine capitol
Video: Red fox successful Lincoln
Armadillo successful Lincoln
Lincoln constabulary spotted an armadillo moving downtown adjacent 13th and O streets aboriginal Tuesday.
Snake connected deck
15th and South area.
Robin's eggs
Robin's eggs successful the 15th and South area.
Monarch caterpillar connected milkweed
Monarch caterpillar connected milkweed.
Young possum hiding successful a clay tile
Young possum hiding successful a clay tile.
Goslings
LINCOLN, NE - 05/10/2018 - A twelve Canada geese goslings spell for cruise astir a pond with their parents connected lukewarm outpouring time connected Thursday, May 10, 2018, astatine Pioneers Park. FRANCIS GARDLER, Journal Star
Geese
A brace of goslings flap their processing wings arsenic they munch connected writer with their siblings and parents connected 80-plus-degree time connected Thursday connected the banks of a pond astatine Pioneers Park.
Snake
The snake astatine Oak Lake Park canine tally tin beryllium seen successful this photo.
Ducks
Ducks nesting successful a Lincoln backyard.
Coyote
Lincoln Animal Control received respective photos of coyotes adjacent Holmes Park, including this 1 spotted astir a period agone adjacent 6100 Normal Blvd.
Backyard critter
A possum connected the deck.
Pelicans
Pelicans tin beryllium seen astatine Capitol Beach Lake.
Turkey
A chaotic turkey astatine 30th and Sherman
Video: Coyote playing with dog
Leftovers
Big Red Worms is offering a accidental for Lincolnites to compost their decaying pumpkins.
Lincoln-area wildlife
Deer
A whitetail cervid recovered himself connected the people on the westbound obstruction astatine the Country Club of Lincoln connected May 12, 2016. The antheral is starting to suffer his gray/brown wintertime coat.
Foxes
Five fox kits travel the pb of an big fox and enactment alert for information successful eastbound Lincoln.
Turkeys
Turkeys retired taking a locomotion adjacent Sheridan Boulevard.
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers connected a fence.
Critter
Backyard spider successful web.
Squirrel
A squirrel astatine Pioneers Park.
Raccoon
A raccoon connected an acreage adjacent Wahoo.
Critters
Critters
Critters
Critters
A insubstantial monarch astatine the Sunken Gardens
Critters
A dragonfly astatine the Sunken Gardens.
Critters
A plot spider weaves a wondrous web successful the backyard.
Butterfly
A painted woman butterfly alights connected a achromatic zinnia Tuesday.
Dragonfly
A dragonfly astatine the Sunken Gardens.
Deer successful Yard
A doe recovered a comfy spot to remainder successful June 2015 successful the backyard of a location connected the 1800 artifact of D Street.
Bald Eagle astatine Branched Oak Lake
Freelance lensman Gary Schenaman says helium walked astir a half-mile done snowfall and brushwood to acceptable up a crushed unsighted astatine Branched Oak Lake successful mid-February, past waited astir 4 hours for a postulation of bald eagles to arrive. Lincoln Children’s Zoo President & CEO John Chapo said the bald eagle successful the photograph is an adult, noting that its caput is achromatic successful plumage. “Immature birds bash not person the implicit achromatic head,” Chapo noted.
Schenaman reports having observed betwixt 40 and 50 eagles astatine the lake.
Baby Owls successful Tree
A radical of 4 young Eastern screech owls huddle successful a histrion nether the watchful oculus of a adjacent genitor connected July 1, 2014, astatine Dean and Emily Kline's location successful northeast Lincoln. Ellie Kline, 4, the Kline's granddaughter, spotted the owls and promptly woke up her grandpa to archer him the news.
County Fair Chicken
LINCOLN, NEB - 08/27/2014 - One of 9-year-old Evan Merrell's Black Orpington chickens successful it's backyard pen connected Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. DAN LITTLE/Lincoln Journal Star
Sunken Gardens
Salvia Mystic Spires is simply a deer-resistant perennial, but charismatic to hummingbirds, butterflies and pollinators similar this bumblebee, which paid a sojourn Wednesday astatine the Sunken Gardens.
Red-tailed hawk
Lincoln Memorial Park red-tailed hawk.
Birds of winter
A Cardinal and 2 golden finches hold for a warmer outpouring time successful Pioneers Park connected Monday.
Turkey
A chaotic turkey steps done a child's sandbox arsenic it grazes done a gait adjacent 53rd and "J" Streets, connected Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014, successful an country wherever it has been spotted often successful the mornings and evenings successful caller weeks. Turkeys were wiped retired successful the authorities of Nebraska by astir 1915, according to the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, but were successfully reintroduced to the authorities opening successful 1959. Some of the birds look to person recovered that citys connection a favorable ratio of nutrient to predators. ERIC GREGORY/Lincoln Journal Star
"And they're off"
Leaving a aftermath of impermanent h2o divots down them, a brace of h2o fowl skim crossed the aboveground of Holmes Lake to articulation a radical of chap h2o birds who were feeding successful a cove Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, astatine Holmes Lake Park.
Baby robins
Lincoln, NE - 7/8/2013 - Baby robins clamor for nutrient successful their oak histrion nest connected Monday, July 8, 2013, successful the 40th and A Neighborhood. GWYNETH ROBERTS/Lincoln Journal Star
Audubon Tour vertebrate and peanuts
A bluish jay picks up peanuts successful the Eastridge backyard June 4, 2013.
Rabbit
A rabbit, enjoying immoderate bid and quiescent connected the University of Nebraska-Lincoln field connected Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The assemblage canceled classes due to the fact that of the snowstorm.
Urban cervid sighting
A cervid was spotted roaming astatine Ryons Street and Sheridan Boulevard successful Lincoln successful 2010.
Pelican
A pelican flaps its wings astatine Capitol Beach successful Lincoln connected Wednesday morning, Nov. 30, 2011. One Capitol Beach nonmigratory is disquieted astir the bird's health, and the Wildlife Rescue Team is moving connected a program to help. (FRANCIS GARDLER/Lincoln Journal Star)
Robins
It's true, the aboriginal vertebrate does get the worm! This robin pecked astir the writer astir 10:42 a.m. to find a juicy greeting snack astatine Holmes Lake Park connected Tuesday morning, April 5, 2011. Warmer upwind returned to the Lincoln country aft Monday's chilly, windy gusts. (FRANCIS GARDLER / Lincoln Journal Star)
Brown-headed nuthatch
A brace of Brown-headed Nuthatches, a rarity for Nebraska, were spotted during the yearly Christmas Bird Count successful Lincoln. (Courtesy photo)
Foxes successful backyard
Backyard foxes astatine 27th and Lake successful Lincoln.
Mourning doves
27th and Lake
Watch Now: Northeast Lincoln visitor
Coopers Hawk backyard 27th and Lake
Coopers Hawk backyard 27th and Lake
Vultures connected William Street
Vultures connected William Street.
Coyote
A coyote successful beforehand of a gathering connected North Cotner.
Hummingbird
Hummingbird adjacent 27th and Lake streets. It's taken power of the feeder and chases distant different hummingbirds that effort to feed.
Damselfly
Damselfly adjacent 27th and Lake
Sleeping reddish fox
Sleeping reddish fox adjacent 27th and Lake streets.
Red-bellied woodpecker
A red-bellied woodpecker that started hollowing retired a location successful a histrion successful December 2021 adjacent 27th and Lake.
Squirrel
Harvesting crabapples from a histrion adjacent 27th and Lake.
Reach the writer astatine 402-473-7254 oregon psalter@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSPeterSalter
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