The standout physical features of Idaho State University make it what it is: the mountains, the iron-rich Red Hill and the squirrels. The abundance of the fluffy-tailed creatures on campus is hard to ignore, whether you enjoy their antics or are maybe a little frightened by their fearlessness.
The type of squirrel seen around campus is a variety of fox squirrel with the scientific name “Sciurus niger.” While a permanent fixture at the ISU campus, the species is not native to Idaho or to the West as a whole and was transplanted from the eastern United States.
“People eat [squirrels]; that would be my guess as to why they would be moved here,” said Janet Loxterman, assistant professor of biological sciences.
Because squirrels are non-native, there are no restrictions on hunting them.
While fox squirrels are not native, the forests around Pocatello are inhabited by a native species called the red squirrel. Fox squirrels spend more time on the ground and are more comfortable around people, while red squirrels stay in the trees.
“When you are in the forest, red squirrels seem to take issue with that,” said Loxterman.
The fox squirrels on campus are quite comfortable with humans, which may have lent to their being transplanted by people, said Loxterman.
“You do not see them away from people,” said Loxterman. “They do well around us.”
Suburban areas like Pocatello suit the fox squirrels better than more urban areas like Boise. While they thrive around people, their only real predators in the area are humans and domestic dogs and cats.
“Cars are probably [the squirrels’] biggest problem,” said Loxterman.
Like any prominent species, squirrels play into the ecology of Pocatello. Loxterman explained that they are good at distributing the seeds of various species of trees and aid in reforestation.
“Other than chewing power lines, I do not know if they have had any negative effects,” said Loxterman.
Loxterman notes that while squirrels can be overbearing, particularly at ISU where students occasionally feed them, they pose no real threat to human beings. While not endemic to the area, fox squirrels fill a non-competitive niche.