Right after the September commentary went up, I read two short pieces about one of my favorite mammals: ground squirrels. The first article was primarily about using ground squirrels, or rather their vacated burrows, to help struggling pygmy owls survive. It pointed me to the second article that further described how female ground squirrels chew on shed rattlesnake skin and then lick themselves and their pups. Because snakes hunt by scent, it’s assumed that this protects them and their young from predators.
To me, the ground squirrel’s behavior seemed like a perfect variation on the crested rat theme. Or maybe it was the other way around…
Right after the September commentary went up, I read two short pieces about one of my favorite mammals: ground squirrels. The first article was primarily about using ground squirrels, or rather their vacated burrows, to help struggling pygmy owls survive. It pointed me to the second article that further described how female ground squirrels chew on shed rattlesnake skin and then lick themselves and their pups. Because snakes hunt by scent, it’s assumed that this protects them and their young from predators.
To me, the ground squirrel’s behavior seemed like a perfect variation on the crested rat theme. Or maybe it was the other way around…