For the first time, researchers captured squirrels in Contra Costa County hunting and killing voles, small rodents related to hamsters that typically weigh less than two ounces.
A ground squirrel runs with a vole in its mouth in Briones Regional Park, where researchers have witnessed the new carnivorous behavior.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.Its fluffy body stays low to the ground, silently stalking its prey.
“It really helps to have the study subjects habituated to us,” Smith said. “There are humans in the park all of the time, but the squirrels respond differently to members of Team Squirrel. We walk differently. We are very, very cautious. We observe at a distance.”Their findings turn the common understanding of squirrel foraging behavior on its head.
Besides hunting and killing voles, researchers also observed the squirrels competing over their prey.
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