New findings released Wednesday by researchers at the University of California, Davis, claim to show the first evidence of widespread carnivorous behavior in squirrels.
Researchers say the study “fundamentally changes our understanding of ground squirrels.”
“This was shocking,” Jennifer E. Smith, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
The study is based on observations from June to July by researchers at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County.
There, researchers say they observed squirrels actively hunting voles in 42% of interactions between the species.
“I could hardly believe my eyes,” Wild, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis, said in a statement. “From then on, we saw that behavior almost every day. Once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.”
Researchers published a video on YouTube showing clear evidence of squirrels hunting voles. Scientists have not seen squirrels hunting other animals.
Scientists noted that carnivorous activity peaked alongside the explosion in vole numbers in the park.
“The fact that California ground squirrels are behaviorally flexible and can respond to changes in food availability may help them persist in environments that are rapidly changing due to the presence of humans,” Wild said in a statement.
The study, which was led by both UC Davis and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was published in the Journal of Ethology.
