These Squirrels Are Cold-Blooded Vole Killers
Freeman writes:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/12/watch-carnivorous-squirrels-chow-down-on-tasty-voles/
We think of squirrels as adorably harmless creatures, admiring their bushy tails and twitchy little noses and the way they cram their cheeks with nuts or seeds to bring back to their nests for later. But the rodents turn out to be a bit more bloodthirsty than we thought. According to a new paper published in the Journal of Ethology, California ground squirrels have been caught in the act-many times over-of chasing, killing, and eating voles.
Co-author Jennifer Smith, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, described the behavior as "shocking,"
[...] Squirrels mainly consume acorns, seeds, nuts, and fruits, but they have been known to supplement that diet with insects and, occasionally, by stealing eggs or young hatchlings from nests. And back in 1993, biologist J.R Callahan caused a stir by reporting that as many as 30 species of squirrel could be preying on smaller creatures: namely, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and the occasional small mammal.
[...] This past summer, the team observed 74 instances of squirrels actively hunting or consuming voles over a total of 18 days in the field. The most instances occurred during the first two weeks of July, when vole populations were also at their peak. Nearly half involved active hunting by squirrels, who usually pounced on a target vole and restrained it with its forepaws and teeth. Squirrels tended to kill the voles by biting the neck area and shaking their prey.
[...] (They didn't observe the squirrels hunting any other mammals.) It's unknown how widespread vole-hunting is among squirrels or whether this behavior can be passed down from parent to offspring. When the team returns next summer, they will study any ecological impact of the squirrels' unusual 2024 hunting behavior, particularly on the reproductive rates of the squirrel population.
Journal Reference:
Smith, Jennifer E., Ingbretson, Joey E., Miner, Mackenzie M., et al. Vole hunting: novel predatory and carnivorous behavior by California ground squirrels [open], Journal of Ethology (DOI: 10.1007/s10164-024-00832-6)
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