Squirrel Island

By Taryn Claassens
Purpose
• To explain how adaptations help organisms survive in different environments

Background
• Mutations are random changes in the genetic information of an organism. They cause new
traits in an organism. Most are harmful, but a few are neutral or even beneficial.
• There are two main types of genetic mutations: a point mutation and a frameshift mutation.
In a point mutation, one of the bases (chemicals) in the chain of DNA is replaced by a
different base. In a frameshift mutation, one base pair is "deleted,“ so it throws off the DNA
sequence, leading to different proteins that are usually useless or harmful.
• A beneficial or neutral mutation can quickly become harmful when the environments
change. The environment greatly affects an organism’s ability to survive, and even a small
change can be harmful to some organisms.
Island 2
 Larger – from 5.5 inches to 10-12 inches and 6-8 lb

Strong lungs for swimming and because its diet

consists mainly of marine animals and it must
forage in seawater, the kidneys have developed
in order to process salty foods and water.
Teeth are

Insula Petram sharper

Larger and muscular
tail to aid in water

Squirrel
and balance

Young are born in

small batches and
with oily pelt

Adaptations:
Coat is thicker and oily to
aid in being on a marine
environment

Back legs have webbed paws and aid in

climbing as squirrels always have but Forepaws more evolved to open shells,
also aid in swimming more dexterous hands like a raccoon and
slightly longer
Adaptations
The island has tidepools with mollusc type creatures as a food source. There are many tidepools with this food source available. Much of
the island is rocky along the shore which protects the island from rough tides and waves. There is fresh water source on the island which
allows the survival of the squirrels. Algae grows in abundance on the rocks on and around the island provided an additional food source
and nesting.

These unique features on the island created a food source and harsh conditions requiring the squirrels to adapt to a different diet and
nesting conditions. These adaptations have also allowed the island squirrel to nest in rocks caves along the island and soft algae

• For example, the thicker oily coat has allowed the squirrel to swim and wade in seawater.

• The squirrels lungs are stronger and adapted to swimming, their kidneys have adapted to processing high salt content through their
bodies.

• Webbed back feet and stronger back legs aid in swimming.

• The back tail has become larger and stronger to aid in balance and swimming.

• The hands have evolved to be more dexterous in order to aid in gripping and breaking open difficult food sources along with sharper
claws to aid in scaling rocks and tearing into food.

• The Island Squirrel has also become larger in body yet has retained dexterity in order to scale rocks.
Food & Water
• The island squirrel eats from the tidepools. They climb the rocky coast to the tidepools and wade in the water.

• They collect the shellfish from the pools with their forepaws. Crab is a rare choice; they will eat crab if it is already opened by a prey
bird or if they manage to pull apart legs or claws.

• Otherwise, they concentrate on the oysters and sea urchins. They use their hands and sharp teeth in order to free them and open
shells. They often must swim into the smaller pools.

• They collect the food in small batches to the rock outcrops and crevasse on the island or they will bury them in the sand as a cache.

• Sometimes the squirrel will use small rocks to aid in opening shells but most often they use their sharp teeth and forepaws to twist
and open shells.

• Sea urchins are generally spiny but are a favored food source, the squirrel uses its teeth on the less spiny underside and sucks the
nutrients out.

• They climb the rocks to get fresh water from the small rivers and pools in the rocks. They drink from the pools.
Producers & Consumers

• Producers: on the island are algae and tidepool life. they provide a food source, oxygen as well as
warmth for the squirrels

• Consumers: are also creatures in the tidepools who reduce the algae, birds that feed on tidepool
sea life and any island growth, and the predators surrounding the island (sharks and seal
mammals).
o They prevent the ease in getting the food source as well as threaten the population of the
squirrels. The squirrel does benefit from scraps left when the birds managed to kill and open
crabs for a food source.
Predator vs Prey

• The squirrels rely on the oceans ability to produce and replenish tidepools during a high tide. The squirrel can
therefore threaten the tidepool populations if they over produce and that is the main food source.

• The biggest predator the squirrel competes with are the predators on the outside barriers where the algae is
rich.

• Although the squirrel has evolved to swim, it cannot compete with the sea lions that roam the rocky barrier of
the island where some of the tidepools and the Ospreys and Hawks that hunt daily in the tidepools and look for
rodents

• These predators keep the squirrel numbers in balance but are a threat to their survival should the coastline
change.
Habitat

• Since the island description omits vegetation, the squirrels have been required to nest in the rock crevasses and caves. They
must use sand and depend on algae growth on the rocks to create barrier from the elements and soft bedding. Additionally,
they will use sea debris and seaweed for bedding.

• Because the rocks create shelter, they are used for nesting in order to allow the squirrels to burrow and remain dry and
warm. They also create a safety barrier for the baby squirrels to nest away from birds.

• The island has series of mini caves in the north and south portion of the island small enough for a mammal to burrow. They
are the main habitat choice for the island squirrels. However, it is not unheard of for the squirrels to pick a crevasse

• The squirrels climb the rocks to get fresh water from the small rivers and pools in the rocks. They drink from the pools. The
babies get their fluids from the mothers. The squirrels will often climb for water in the evenings since the birds of prey hunt
in during the day