Traditionally known for stuffing their cheeks with nuts, squirrels can be carnivorous — though recorded instances of the rodents hunting and killing other live vertebrates are rare, with few species known to have done so. Now, scientists have found unprecedented evidence of another type of squirrel exhibiting carnivorous behaviors, including hunting, killing and eating voles, according to a new study. https://cnn.it/3Br8MD8
I am a California native and have seen the trees cut to build warehouses, farmland made into parking lots, homes built up through the mountains removing native vegetation and even lawns covered in rock and cactus. It’s a survival instinct for these little guys. People complain of coyotes, bears and wild donkeys rummaging through their properties, but there’s nowhere for them to go and nothing for them to eat in their natural habitats. Very sad
Who doesn't like a juicy vole?
Shortage of their natural food supply will cause a change in eating patterns. When they run out of Nuts they are forced to find a new source of food, thereby eating smaller rodents. Don’t blame them. Man has taken over their natural habitat.
Poor squirrels! As many other animals they are loosing their natural habits in order to survive!
This is NUTS! 🥜
With all the vegetation burning they probably don't have any food from the trees
Not what I expected to see when I opened my LinkedIn this evening
Because of the lack of rain water to produce enough normal food for them.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is because they are thriving already. Hunting is a very calorie heavy way of getting food, but prey has way more calories, allowing them to gain more than foraged nuts alone. Humans hunted for the same reasons
rn at Beth Israel Medical Center
4hThe squirrels in my backyard eat chicken ,my neighbor leaves out food for the neighbor hood cats and the squirrels eat it