Sciuridae
Sciurus niger
(fox squirrel)

Image Caption:
A fox squirrel licks maple sap collecting around groves he knawed in the bark of this sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum).  "Sugaring Season," has arrived, when freezing nights cause maple roots to collect water and warmer daytime temperatures cause stem pressure to develop (Tardif, 2009), pushing sap out holes in the bark .  Perhaps long before Europeans arrived in America, Native Americans discovered how and when to extract maple sap by watching squirrels.

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Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger rufiventer) Licking Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) Sap
Works Cited:

Tardif, C. (2009).  "Maple syrup." World Book Advanced. Retrieved 24 Feb. 2009 from http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar343340.
Image Location: United States, South Dakota, Brookings
Image Date: 2009FEB24
Image Species: Sciurus niger rufiventer
(EXIF Information is accurate – stamped in UTC).

Web Page and Pictures By Peter Leitheiser
Updated: 2009MAR04