New York City’s fauna is largely made up of the Eastern Gray Squirrel. In 2018, Central Park alone was home to 2,373 squirrels (NYC Open Data). Squirrels are an important factor in shaping tree and ground ecosystems through burial of seeds and nuts. Yet, they are often overlooked when discussing the wildlife of cities, even though they have shared land with New Yorkers for hundreds of years. The purpose of this research is to understand how human behavior has impacted squirrels living in highly urbanized areas, such as New York City. We hypothesize that living in urban environments has caused squirrels to find ways to adapt to high levels of foot traffic by shifting their levels of vigilance and attention. A review of current literature was conducted, supporting our hypothesis about squirrel adaptability. Future research should evaluate whether these changes in behavior have overall harmed or negatively impacted city squirrel populations.

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