Squirrels may seem very gentle and innocent, but they are also opportunistic killers.
we think squirrel They are adorable and harmless creatures, admired for their bushy tails and twitching little snouts, the way they stuff their cheeks with nuts and seeds to take back to the nest later. However, it turns out that rodents are a little more bloodthirsty than we thought. California ground squirrels are repeatedly chased, killed and eaten, according to a new paper published in the Journal of Ethology. Vole.
Co-author Jennifer Smith, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, said: explained The researchers thought this behavior was “shocking” given that they had observed squirrels doing this many times. “We have never seen behavior like this before.” she said. “Squirrels are one of the animals people are most familiar with. We see them right outside our windows and interact with them on a regular basis. No scientific action is shedding light on the fact that there is much more to learn about the natural history of the world around us. ”
Squirrels primarily consume acorns, seeds, nuts, and fruit, but they supplement their diet with insects and have been known to occasionally steal eggs and hatchlings from nests. and go back in 1993Biologist JR Callahan caused a stir when he reported that as many as 30 species of squirrels may prey on smaller creatures: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and occasionally small mammals.
However, much of that evidence is based on analysis of the stomach contents of dead squirrels in the wild, zoos, or traps. This made it difficult to determine whether the squirrels were scavenging for these creatures or actively hunting them. When hunting behavior by squirrels was observed in the field, it was usually in a single, isolated hollow.
California ground squirrels are also mostly “carnivorous,” but they have been known to eat bird eggs and local quail, pheasants, chickens, and robin chicks. There are only a few reports of squirrels actually killing small animals. Most often they scavenge. That’s why this latest study is so interesting.
Run, vole, run
The current study is part of an ongoing long-term behavioral ecology study of ground squirrels in parts of Briones Regional Park, California. Since 2013, project members have been live-trapping, tagging, and releasing local squirrels every June and July, when squirrels are most active on the ground. Each squirrel has a metal ear tag and a distinctive fur mark painted on its back for easy visual identification. The squirrel’s behavior will be video recorded for analysis, and additional statistical analysis will be performed to uncover interesting behavioral demographics. Team members also take photographs while in the field and directly observe and record squirrel behavior.
