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  • Re: The next horror movie craze, Carnivorous Squirrels.

    From Bob Casanova@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jan 1 21:53:58 2025
    On Wed, 1 Jan 2025 11:41:01 -0600, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by RonO <[email protected]>:

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241218132149.htm

    QUOTE:
    A ground squirrel with cheeks stuffed with nuts, seeds or grains, is a
    common sight. But a new study provides the first evidence that
    California ground squirrels also hunt, kill and eat voles. The study,
    led by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and University of
    California, Davis, is the first to chronicle widespread carnivorous
    behavior among squirrels.
    END QUOTE:

    These ground squirrels are not much bigger than a vole. Voles might be >larger compared to a ground squirrel than than a rabbit compared to lynx.

    It probably should be noted that carnivora is derived from hooved
    animals. I recall a science article noting that cattle in India were >opportunistic carnivores even though they were ruminants (some were
    hunting birds at night when the birds couldn't see them).

    It should also probably be noted that life frequently
    doesn't fit into neat pigeonholes a la Linnaeus, despite the
    desires of "experts".

    --

    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov

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  • From DB Cates@21:1/5 to RonO on Thu Jan 2 00:11:23 2025
    On 2025-01-01 11:41 a.m., RonO wrote:
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241218132149.htm

    QUOTE:
    A ground squirrel with cheeks stuffed with nuts, seeds or grains, is a
    common sight. But a new study provides the first evidence that
    California ground squirrels also hunt, kill and eat voles. The study,
    led by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and University of
    California, Davis, is the first to chronicle widespread carnivorous
    behavior among squirrels.
    END QUOTE:

    These ground squirrels are not much bigger than a vole.  Voles might be larger compared to a ground squirrel than than a rabbit compared to lynx.

    It probably should be noted that carnivora is derived from hooved
    animals.  I recall a science article noting that cattle in India were opportunistic carnivores even though they were ruminants (some were
    hunting birds at night when the birds couldn't see them).

    Ron Okimoto

    Several years ago I saw a red squirrel sitting on our deck railing
    eating what at fist glance appeared to be a sucker (candy on a stick).
    On closer examination it turned out to be a bird's head with the beak as
    the stick.

    --
    --
    Don Cates ("he's a cunning rascal" PN)

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