{"id":216054,"date":"2025-06-26T14:11:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T14:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/216054\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T14:11:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T14:11:10","slug":"these-squirrels-are-hunting-and-eating-meat-and-scientists-only-just-noticed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/216054\/","title":{"rendered":"These Squirrels Are Hunting and Eating Meat and Scientists Only Just Noticed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Squirrel <\/a>A California ground squirrel in Conta Costa County runs with a vole it hunted in its mouth. Credit: Sonja Wild, UC Davis.<\/p>\n

California ground squirrels are as commonplace as the seeds, acorns, and grains they\u2019re often seen nibbling. Yet, scientists in Northern California recently uncovered an astonishing fact about these bushy-tailed rodents: they are not just herbivores but also active hunters.<\/p>\n

Over the summer of 2024, researchers at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County documented ground squirrels hunting, killing, and eating voles. The study reveals a behavior previously unrecorded in these squirrels and fundamentally shifts our understanding of their diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was shocking,\u201d Jennifer E. Smith, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the study\u2019s lead author, said in a press release. \u201cSquirrels are one of the most familiar animals to people. Yet here\u2019s this never-before-encountered behavior that sheds light on how much we still have to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carnivorous Squirrels<\/strong><\/p>\n

The discovery came during the 12th year of a long-term study on the ecology of California ground squirrels. From June to July, researchers documented 74 interactions between squirrels and California voles. Almost half (42%) involved active hunting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had never seen this behavior before,\u201d said Sonja Wild, a co-author and postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis. The surprise began when undergraduate field researchers showed her a video of the squirrels chasing voles. \u201cI could barely believe my eyes,\u201d Wild recalled. \u201cFrom then, we saw that behavior almost every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hunting coincided with a population explosion of voles in the park, reported by citizen scientists on iNaturalist<\/a>. This abundance of prey likely triggered the squirrels\u2019 predatory behavior. So, the study suggests that these squirrels, once thought to be primarily granivores (seed-eaters), are instead highly flexible omnivores.<\/p>\n

Opportunists in a Changing World<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Image <\/a>Credit: Sonja Wild, UC Davis.<\/p>\n

Such dietary flexibility may help California ground squirrels adapt to rapidly changing environments. \u201cThe fact that these squirrels are behaviorally flexible and respond to changes in food availability might help them persist in human-dominated landscapes,\u201d Wild explained.<\/p>\n

Opportunism in foraging is certainly not unique to squirrels. Raccoons, coyotes, and even humans exemplify this trait, adapting their diets to suit their environments. Still, the researchers were unprepared for the extent of the squirrels\u2019 carnivory. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible to document a behavior we had no idea was happening,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n

Ground squirrels\u2019 predation on voles raises new questions. Could this behavior influence the region\u2019s food web? Is it learned socially or instinctual? And will it persist beyond this summer\u2019s vole boom? Scientists aim to return to the site and explore how this hunting behavior might impact reproduction and ecological balance.<\/p>\n

The Bigger Picture<\/strong><\/p>\n

California ground squirrels are a keystone species, serving as prey for hawks, snakes, and other predators. Understanding their dietary shifts is crucial for grasping their role in the ecosystem. As Smith noted, their success can ripple outward, offering opportunities for other species to thrive.<\/p>\n

This discovery also highlights the importance of direct observation in science. \u201cDigital technology can inform the research,\u201d Smith said, \u201cbut there\u2019s no replacement for going out there and witnessing the behavior because what animals are doing always surprises us.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, the image of a ground squirrel, cheeks stuffed with nuts, may need a dramatic update \u2014 one that includes sharp teeth and a vole caught in its paws.<\/p>\n

The findings appeared in the Journal of Ethology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in December 2024 and was updated with new information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A California ground squirrel in Conta Costa County runs with a vole it hunted in its mouth. Credit:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":216055,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3847],"tags":[38091,85798,12309,85799,7911,85800,70,85801,16,15,1717],"class_list":{"0":"post-216054","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-animal-behavior","9":"tag-carnivore","10":"tag-ecology","11":"tag-ground-squirrel","12":"tag-meat","13":"tag-omnivore","14":"tag-science","15":"tag-squirrel","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom","18":"tag-wildlife"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114750075389535337","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}