They may have twitchy noses and a quizzical expression but ground squirrels are not as cuddly as they appear: researchers have found they repeatedly hunt and eat voles, decapitating their prey and pulling flesh from the torso.
The team say the discovery was a shock: while California ground squirrels have previously been observed eating insects, bird eggs, hatchlings and even – albeit rarely – scavenging small, juvenile mammals, they were primarily thought to be herbivorous, snacking on seeds, acorns, fruits and nuts.
