With their bushy tails and bulging cheeks, squirrels are often seen as cute animals.
But a new study has painted the rodents in an entirely new light.
Scientists have captured shocking footage of California ground squirrels hunting, killing, and then eating voles.
Until now, squirrels have been considered ‘granivorous’ animals (those that feed on grain), but the new footage suggests that squirrels are evolving to become carnivorous.
‘This was shocking,’ said Dr Jennifer E. Smith, an associate professor of biology at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, who led the study.
‘We had never seen this behavior before. Squirrels are one of the most familiar animals to people.
‘We see them right outside our windows; we interact with them regularly.
‘Yet here’s this never-before-encountered-in-science behavior that sheds light on the fact that there’s so much more to learn about the natural history of the world around us.’
The scientists were observing the squirrels at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County when they spotted the unusual behaviour.
Between June 10 and July 30, they were amazed to see California ground squirrels of all ages and genders hunting, eating, and competing over vole prey.
Out of 74 observed interactions with voles, almost half (42 per cent) involved active hunting of these small rodents by ground squirrels.
Their carnivorous eating habits peaked during the first two weeks of July, which conicided with an explosion of vole numbers in the park.
According to the researchers, this suggests their hunting behaviour emerged alongside a temporary increase in the availablity of prey.
Sonja Wild, an author of the study, said: ‘The fact that California ground squirrels are behaviorally flexible and can respond to changes in food availability might help them persist in environments rapidly changing due to the presence of humans.’
While the researchers have been studying squirrels for years, even they were amazed at the findings.
Dr Wild added: ‘I could barely believe my eyes.
‘We saw that behavior almost every day.
‘Once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.’
Several questions about the new eating behaviour remain unanswered.
This includes how widespread the behaviour is among squirrels, how and if it is passed down from parent to pup, and how it affects ecological processes.
However, the team is planning to return to the park next summer to see if there has been a long-term impact on either the voles or the squirrels themselves.
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