California ground squirrels hunt, kill and eat voles, reveals a study by UC Davis and UW-Eau Claire, sharing the first evidence of widespread carnivorous behavior among squirrels.
So school kinda lied to you. Herbivores and carnivores exist on a spectrum. The extremes are known as “obligates”. So an animal that lacks the ability to eat plants entirely is known as an “obligate carnivore.” Otherwise, the rest of animals are somewhere spread across the spectrum. Animals in this region are commonly known to eat what’s easily available with just a preference toward one end or the other.
A lot of herbivores will eat meat when starving or stressed. Or just if the happen upon easily accessible meat. Most animals aren’t confined to only one food source. To be a omnivore, they need to regularly seek out, consume, and digest both plant and animal parts. Wolves eat grass sometimes, but they can’t digest it.
This study is crazy because there are multiple individuals showing this behavior. Not to mention they are actively hunting the voles. Indicating that this behavior wasn’t opportunistic. Which is really cool! Though, a squirrel with the appetite of a shrew sounds terrifying.
Rodents don’t need to be pushed to starvation, but nuts and plants and small insects are safer to forage for compared to hunting something large enough to fight back. So if they can easily get what they need from available plant sources, they will choose that first.
This is true for a lot of forager type animals. Chickens will kill and eat mice if they can. I’ve even seen videos of horses snacking on baby chickens.
Arent most/all rodents omnivorous? They might prefer to eat only grains or what not, but if pushed to starvation will readily eat meat to survive?
Edit- Seems I missed what’s remarkable about this, is they are actively hunting the Voles, not just being opportunistic.
So school kinda lied to you. Herbivores and carnivores exist on a spectrum. The extremes are known as “obligates”. So an animal that lacks the ability to eat plants entirely is known as an “obligate carnivore.” Otherwise, the rest of animals are somewhere spread across the spectrum. Animals in this region are commonly known to eat what’s easily available with just a preference toward one end or the other.
Like house cats!
Tell that to our shop cat that eats grass (besides all the mice he can catch).
0% nutrition, 100% cromch.
This is cute but you really shouldn’t be feeding cats plants
Even the obligates are just really close to the end of the spectrum as they will occasionally snack on the other source for specific nutrients.
A lot of herbivores will eat meat when starving or stressed. Or just if the happen upon easily accessible meat. Most animals aren’t confined to only one food source. To be a omnivore, they need to regularly seek out, consume, and digest both plant and animal parts. Wolves eat grass sometimes, but they can’t digest it.
This study is crazy because there are multiple individuals showing this behavior. Not to mention they are actively hunting the voles. Indicating that this behavior wasn’t opportunistic. Which is really cool! Though, a squirrel with the appetite of a shrew sounds terrifying.
This reminds me of the Rick and Morty episode where they can understand the squirrels talking.
As long as they don’t have the metabolism of a shrew. We don’t need cow-sized, carnivorous squirrels any time soon!
Pretty much. I havent read past the abstract, in fairness.
Copy\paste this for any organism capable of digesting another in order to survive. The hunting behavior is fascinating to see in squirrels, though.
Yes. In this case the difference is the squirrels are hunting, killing, and consuming voles.
Yes, they are omnivores.
Rodents don’t need to be pushed to starvation, but nuts and plants and small insects are safer to forage for compared to hunting something large enough to fight back. So if they can easily get what they need from available plant sources, they will choose that first.
This is true for a lot of forager type animals. Chickens will kill and eat mice if they can. I’ve even seen videos of horses snacking on baby chickens.
Chickens really love bugs, maggots etc on the regular.