Kansas University, it seems, just isn’t squirrelly enough.

The latest incarnation of the rivalry between KU and Kansas State University came out during a legislative briefing Monday in Topeka when a KSU official boasted that her school received a “five-squirrel” rating for the quality of its squirrels.

In legislative budget reports, schools usually list their top achievements over the past year, such as large grants or high rankings on well-read lists such as in U.S. News and World Report.

But K-State, in its budget recommendation to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, included the fact it had received a five-squirrel rating — the highest available — for its campus squirrels.

A Web site that features “The Campus Squirrel Listings” says the quality of an institution of higher education can often be determined by the health of the campus squirrel population. A K-State alumna, Teresa Huffman, noted on the Web site that K-State’s bushy-tailed critters were “friendly” and “pretty.”

The mention of K-State’s high-quality squirrels produced a chuckle among committee members.

KU was nowhere to be seen in the squirrel ratings. Emporia State University received a four-squirrel rating.

KU squirrels “seem happy,” said Mike Lang, KU’s landscape manager who spends much of his time outdoors. “Especially the ones that dig up the tulip beds and eat the bulbs. I wish they’d go west (to Manhattan) and join the rest of their friends.”

Robert Timm, professor of ecology who assisted with a census of campus squirrels at KU several years ago, confirmed Lang’s assessment. He noted that KU has two species of squirrels — fox and gray — while KSU has mainly fox squirrels.

“We have very healthy squirrels here,” he said. “They’re cute.”

Todd Cohen, a KU spokesman, provided an official response on why KSU was noted for its squirrel population: “I guess they have more nuts over there.”