Charming predators: bloodthirsty squirrels (study)

(Keystone-ATS) Published Wednesday in the Journal of Ethology, this study from California is the first to document widespread carnivorous behavior among these seemingly innocent creatures. “It was shocking,” says lead author Jennifer E. Smith, a biology professor at the University of Wisconsin.

“Squirrels are one of the most familiar animals to humans. We see them right under our windows and interact with them regularly,” she emphasizes. However, “we had never observed this behavior”, which shows “that there is so much more to learn about the natural history of the world around us”.

The observations were made this summer, during the 12th year of a long-term study conducted at Briones Regional Park, California. Between June and July, researchers recorded 74 interactions between California Ground Squirrels – a species of squirrel – and voles, 42% of which involved active hunting.

Active hunting

Co-author of the study, Sonja Wild, a researcher at the University of California, was initially skeptical of the observations of undergraduate students, the first witnesses of this behavior. “I couldn’t believe my eyes,” she remembers. But “once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.”

It was already known that around thirty species of squirrels consumed meat, particularly from birds. But it was unclear whether this was related to accidentally coming across dead animal remains or some form of active predation.

This new study is the first to show that hunting is indeed a widespread behavior among squirrels. Researchers have observed squirrels ambush their prey, even though they most often just chase them before pouncing and biting their necks.

The study, however, leaves several questions unanswered. In particular, the authors hope to discover how widespread hunting is a behavior among squirrel species, whether it is transmitted from parents to young, and how it affects their ecosystems.