Squirrels might look like adorable, nut-hoarding furballs, but some are ruthless predators that hunt, tear apart and devour voles. That is the startling finding of a new study published on Wednesday in the Journal of Ethology — the first to document widespread carnivorous behavior in these seemingly innocent creatures.
“There is always something new to learn, and wild animals continue to surprise us,” lead author Jennifer Smith, an associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire said. “In a changing world with many technological advances, there is no replacement for direct observation of natural history, including watching the squirrels and birds that often visit our backyards.”
The observations were made this summer, during the 12th year of a long-term study conducted at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County, California.
Photo: AFP / Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis
Between June and July, researchers recorded 74 interactions involving California ground squirrels and voles, with 42 percent of them involving active hunting of their fellow rodents.
Coauthor Sonja Wild, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, said she was initially skeptical of the reports brought to her by undergraduate students who first witnessed the behavior.
“I could barely believe my eyes,” Wild said. “Once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.”
It was previously known that as many as 30 species of squirrels opportunistically consume meat, ranging from small fish to birds. However, it was unclear whether this behavior stemmed from scavenging or active predation.
The new study is the first to confirm that hunting is, in fact, a common behavior.
Researchers observed squirrels crouching low to the ground before ambushing their prey, although more often, they chased voles, pounced and delivered a neck bite followed by vigorous shaking.
The study also found that the squirrels’ carnivorous behavior peaked during the first two weeks of July, coinciding with a surge in vole populations.
Other animals, such as raccoons, coyotes and spotted hyenas, have been known to adapt their hunting strategies in response to human-induced changes in their environments.
“In a changing world, it can be daunting to consider all of the challenges that human presence, habitat loss and climate change impose on animals,” Smith said. “Our study offers an exciting silver lining, demonstrating the incredible flexibility that some animals possess.”
Researchers hope to investigate how widespread hunting behavior is among squirrel species, whether it is passed down from parents to pups and how it affects their broader ecosystems.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
TESTING BAN: Satellite photos show a facility in the Chinese city of Mianyang that could aid nuclear weapons design and power generation, a US researcher said China appears to be building a large laser-ignited fusion research center in the southwestern city of Mianyang, experts at two analytical organizations said, a development that could aid nuclear weapons design and work exploring power generation. Satellite photos show four outlying “arms” that would house laser bays, and a central experiment bay that would hold a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes the powerful lasers would fuse together, producing energy, said Decker Eveleth, a researcher at US-based independent research organization CNA Corp. It is a similar layout to the US$3.5 billion US National Ignition Facility (NIF) in northern California, which in 2022 generated
RSS