With their bushy tails and bulging cheeks, squirrels are often considered cute animals.
But a new study has portrayed rodents in a whole new light.
Scientists have captured shocking images of California ground squirrels hunting, killing and then eating voles.
Until now, squirrels have been considered “granivorous” animals (those that eat grains), but new images suggest that squirrels are evolving to become carnivorous.
“This was shocking,” said Dr. Jennifer E. Smith, associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, who led the study.
‘We have never seen this behavior before. Squirrels are one of the most familiar animals to people.
‘We see them right outside our windows; We interact with them regularly.
“Yet here we have this behavior never before seen in science that sheds light on the fact that there is much more to learn about the natural history of the world around us.”
With their bushy tails and bulging cheeks, squirrels are often considered cute animals. But a new study has portrayed rodents in a whole new light.
Scientists have captured shocking images of California ground squirrels hunting, killing and then eating voles.
Until now, squirrels have been considered ‘granivorous’ animals (those that eat cereals), but new images suggest that squirrels are evolving to become carnivores.
Scientists were observing squirrels at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County when they spotted the unusual behavior.
Between June 10 and July 30, they were surprised to see California ground squirrels of all ages and genders hunting, eating, and competing for vole prey.
Of the 74 interactions observed with voles, nearly half (42 percent) involved active hunting of these small rodents by ground squirrels.
Their carnivorous eating habits peaked during the first two weeks of July, which coincided with an explosion in vole numbers in the park.
According to the researchers, this suggests that their hunting behavior emerged alongside a temporary increase in prey availability.
Sonja Wild, author of the study, said: “The fact that California ground squirrels are behaviorally flexible and can respond to changes in food availability could help them persist in environments that change rapidly due to the presence of humans.” .
While researchers have been studying squirrels for years, even they were surprised by the findings.
Dr Wild added: “I could hardly believe my eyes.
Scientists were observing the squirrels at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County when they spotted the unusual behavior.
Between June 10 and July 30, they were surprised to see California ground squirrels of all ages and genders hunting, eating, and competing for vole prey.
Of the 74 interactions observed with voles, almost half (42 percent) involved active hunting of these small rodents by ground squirrels.
‘We saw that behavior almost every day.
“Once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.”
Several questions about the new eating behavior remain unanswered.
This includes how widespread the behavior is among squirrels, how and if it is transmitted from parents to puppies and how it affects ecological processes.
However, the team plans to return to the park next summer to see if there has been a long-term impact on the voles or the squirrels themselves.