Squirrels are among the most familiar creatures to the average American. They can be found everywhere from way out in the country to the middle of New York City. Yet as familiar as they may be, it seems there’s still plenty we don’t know about them.
A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of California, Davis, published in the Journal of Ethology revealed a surprising finding about California ground squirrels: They can be carnivorous.
What’s happening?
In 2024, field researchers at Contra Costa County’s Briones Regional Park observed ground squirrels hunting and eating voles. This is shocking information for anyone who sees squirrels out and about on a regular basis, but it was even more shocking for the researchers. They’d been following squirrel behavior for 12 years before making the observation.
“I could barely believe my eyes,” study lead author Jennifer E. Smith said, according to ScienceDaily. “We had never seen this behavior before.”…