The study observed California ground squirrels hunting, killing, and eating voles, revealing a previously unnoticed omnivorous behavior that has now been documented as part of their regular behavior.
Researcher Jennifer Smith noted, 'The local vole population boomed this year. It was five to six times bigger than normal, and that's when the squirrels took advantage of that.'
While prior accounts of squirrels hunting were considered anomalies, this study captured their predatory behavior on video, indicating a shift in understanding their feeding habits.
Sonja Wild from UC Davis remarked, 'There's been accumulating evidence... This isn't something completely out of the realm of possibility, but now it's part of the normal behavior observed in squirrels.'
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