Tree squirrels seem to really love college campuses. In my hometown back in Maryland, tree squirrels have practically taken over the University of Maryland at College Park. These are no ordinary squirrels either; they are intrepid enough to steal food from students’ bags or even approach students to beg for food. Wh
ile the squirrels here at St. Edward’s aren’t nearly as approachable or bold, they are certainly just as abundant. Just the other day I was sitting under a tree and 3 squirrels came leaping from it, chasing each other around me and the trunk of the tree before climbing back up again. They seemed unconcerned with my presence and frequently crawled around me as they made their way to and from the tree I was using for shade. The tree squirrel belongs to the genus Sciurus and is the most common genus in North America. Although I was unable to identify the specific species I observed, the bug, bushy tail was a clear indication that the fauna I observed belonged to this genus and could therefore be named a “Tree Squirrel.”
Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/45994-Sciurus
Observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5980182