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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchYes. In summer 2024, researchers documented California ground squirrels at Briones Regional Park actively hunting, killing, and eating adult California voles. The observations came from one long-term study population during a year with unusually high vole sighting reports; they do not show that the behavior is widespread or that vole abundance caused it.
What researchers actually saw
In their study published in the Journal of Ethology, Smith and colleagues recorded 74 vole-hunting and/or consumption events during 18 days of fieldwork over seven weeks. The researchers had followed marked squirrels at the Briones Regional Park site as part of a long-running project.
- 31 of the 74 interactions involved active hunting, defined as active pursuit of prey.
- 17 of those 31 hunting attempts ended in the squirrel capturing and killing a vole.
- That is a success rate of about 55 percent among observed hunting attempts.
- The behavior was observed among juveniles and adults and across sexes; the researchers did not find an apparent age- or sex-group difference in participation.
Researchers described some squirrels stalking voles in a low, quiet posture and others chasing them. In a typical successful approach, the squirrel pounced and restrained the vole with its forepaws and teeth. Killing attempts often involved bites around the neck.
The squirrels often carried the dead voles away
In 12 of the 17 successful kills, the squirrel carried the dead vole elsewhere. In all 11 observed instances of a squirrel eating an intact carcass, it first removed the vole’s head.
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These field observations document predation followed by consumption, rather than merely showing animal tissue in a squirrel’s diet. The researchers also saw competition over carcasses, including attempts by other squirrels to displace a squirrel or take remains. The study did not establish active meat-sharing as a stable social behavior.
Why did the squirrels start hunting voles?
The study authors suggest that an unusual increase in vole reports may have provided an opportunity. California vole sighting reports in 2024 peaked at roughly seven times the 10-year average, according to the study’s comparison of iNaturalist reports. Hunting activity peaked in the first two weeks of July.
Those figures describe sighting reports, not a direct measurement of vole density at the study site. The researchers did not experimentally increase vole numbers, so the study cannot prove that vole abundance caused the hunting. Other seasonal or ecological factors may also have played a role.
The observations support dietary flexibility: California ground squirrels, usually associated with plant foods, may also exploit animal prey when it is available. The authors suggest they may be better described as opportunistic omnivores than as strictly granivorous. The findings do not show that the squirrels have become specialized predators.
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Was this really the first time a squirrel had eaten an animal?
No. The finding is not the first evidence of a squirrel eating animal matter. Earlier records include animal-eating or possible predation in other squirrel species, but those records vary in what they establish: eating a carcass, for example, does not by itself show that a squirrel hunted and killed its prey.
What makes this study notable is its repeated, direct documentation of free-living California ground squirrels pursuing, capturing, killing, and eating voles in this long-term study population. The authors’ claim is about the first documented widespread hunting in this population, not the first time any squirrel has eaten meat.
Adults and juveniles both took part
Most hunts involved solitary squirrels. The paper reports that 94 percent of hunting events involved solo hunters. The two observed attempts by pairs pursuing the same vole were unsuccessful.
The researchers found no apparent difference among identifiable age and sex groups in participation in hunting or consumption. These observations do not mean every squirrel in the population hunted; they describe recorded events during one field season.
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What the finding does—and does not—tell us
| What the study shows | What it does not show |
|---|---|
| California ground squirrels at Briones Regional Park actively pursued adult California voles. | That all squirrels have started eating meat. |
| Some observed pursuits ended in successful kills and consumption. | That California ground squirrels are becoming specialized predators. |
| The behavior coincided with unusually high vole sighting reports. | That vole abundance was proven to be the sole cause. |
| Juveniles and adults across sexes participated. | That the behavior is equally common in every population or year. |
| Carcasses sometimes attracted competition from other squirrels. | That the squirrels regularly share meat as a social practice. |
The study covered one population at one California location during one year. How widespread the behavior is among California ground squirrels, whether it is learned, and what effects it may have on ecological processes or squirrel reproduction remain open questions.
Could hunting affect disease or the grassland ecosystem?
The findings raise questions about ecological effects, but the study did not demonstrate that hunting changes disease risk or vole numbers. The researchers identify ecological processes and possible effects on reproduction as topics for future research, not established outcomes.
More research is needed to determine whether the behavior occurs in other locations, whether young squirrels learn it from adults or develop it independently, and how it relates to vole availability and other ecological conditions.
What this means if you see a squirrel behaving aggressively
People should not assume that an ordinary squirrel is hunting, or that this study makes squirrels generally dangerous. The observations concern one population and one unusual field season.
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If you witness wildlife pursuing another animal, keep your distance, keep pets away, and do not try to separate the animals. Avoid feeding wild squirrels. If an animal appears sick or injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or animal-control authority rather than handling it yourself.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The larger lesson
California ground squirrels at one study site repeatedly hunted and ate voles during a season when California vole sighting reports were unusually high. The study documents dietary flexibility, but does not prove what caused the behavior or how common it is elsewhere.
The researchers’ long-term work and direct observations brought this behavior into view. Familiar animals can still reveal unexpected behaviors when they are observed closely.
FAQ
Did California ground squirrels really hunt and kill adult voles?
Yes. Smith and colleagues documented active hunting, captures, kills, and consumption at Briones Regional Park in summer 2024.
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Why are California ground squirrels eating voles?
The study authors suggest a temporary increase in prey availability may have played a role. Vole sighting reports were unusually high, but the study did not prove that this caused the hunting.
Are all squirrels becoming predators?
No. The observations came from one California ground squirrel population during one field season. They do not establish how common the behavior is in other populations or species.
Does squirrel hunting make disease more likely?
The study did not demonstrate a change in disease risk. Whether hunting affects disease dynamics is an open question, not a finding of this research.
Sources
The findings and figures in this article are from Smith and colleagues’ Journal of Ethology study. Publication details are available in its PubMed record.
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