As some students daydream on the lawn, the only creatures to disrupt their thoughts are the infamous furry squirrels that have recently distinguished Penn State as a "four squirrel" school.

On a five-squirrel scale, Penn State received four out of five "squirrels," which ranks high on the scale, said Jonathan Gottshall, who compiled the research.

Colleges have been ranked on various factors for years, but not for Gottshall's "squirrel-friendly" standards.

As stated on Gottshall's Web site (www.gottshall.com), "The quality of an institution of higher learning can often be determined by the size, health and behavior of the squirrel population on campus."

Gottshall believes squirrel behavior is an indicator of the student body, and that squirrels become more adjusted to human contact when students spend more time on campus.

"I think squirrels tend to be more friendly at schools that are more interesting and have students hanging around campus more," Gottshall said.

A rodent enthusiast, Gottshall said he has loved furry animals since the release of The Secret of the NIMH in 1982. He began ranking "squirrel-friendly" campuses while studying for a master's degree in history at California State University at Fullerton. While researching at different college campuses, Gottshall fed squirrels and thought it would be fun to rank "squirrel-friendly" schools since it had never been done before.

After observing the squirrel behavior at many campuses, Gottshall created his Web site. The site posts every college along with a squirrel-face rating for each.

To document colleges, he relies on e-mails from students describing their squirrel encounters when he is unable to visit the actual school.

A Pennsylvania field reporter gave a description of Penn State's squirrels, and it is quoted on Gottshall's Web site.

"The area around the Mall contains a dense population of some of the friendliest, perhaps most demanding squirrels on any college campus. They run out in front of students . . . and on several occasions jump on unsuspecting students who they believe are harboring treats. I was sitting on a bike rack talking to some friends when one came up to me from behind and tapped my hand with his paw for a hand-out. Several of the bolder individuals will crawl through your pockets, perch on your lap or shoulders while eating; I've found two which let me pet them."

The Penn State Altoona College also is listed on Gottshall's Web site. After he visited the campus himself, Gottshall described a specific area with a dense squirrel population saying, "Many squirrels will come down from the trees to see if you have food!"

University Park students seem to agree with Gottshall's rating.

"I definitely think squirrels are more people friendly. Since there are so many students around, they have to adjust to students more," said Heather Neinast (senior-psychology) said.

Some students said squirrels appear friendly because they approach humans for food.

"People feeding them gives them the incentive to come up to humans," Matt Debear (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said.

Few students had negative opinions of the outgoing squirrels at Penn State.

"People here aren't mean to them so they're not scared to be around us," Rhonda Tilgner (junior- communications) said.

While some students see squirrels in a friendly light, campus staff addressed why the squirrels seem upbeat.

Duane Diefenbach, adjunct assistant professor in the school of forest resources, said like most park situations with few predators, squirrels are not afraid of humans because they see humans as a food source instead of a threat.

In short, as long as students remain active on campus, Penn State's cute critters will maintain their friendly appeal.