Flying squirrels in China have discovered a clever new trick to store nuts for longer

Flying squirrels in China have developed a intelligent solution to cover their nuts — chewing grooves in them to allow them to be saved between tree branches.

The weird habits, seen in two species within the tropical rainforests of Hainan Island, might protect the critters’ meals for longer than burying the nuts within the moist forest flooring, scientists mentioned.

“Solely these two flying squirrel [species] have this system and no different squirrel species or animals are identified to have this potential,” Han Xu, professor of ecology on the Chinese language Academy of Forestry in China, instructed Reside Science. The findings had been printed June 13 within the journal eLife.

Associated: Watch squirrels carry out parkour-like stunts for peanuts

To seize the bizarre habits, Han and his colleagues arrange 32 infrared cameras throughout 13.5 acres (5.5 hectares) of rainforest the place they’d discovered 151 nuts wedged between tree branches. Many of the nuts had been saved between 5 and eight ft (1.5 to 2.5 m) above the bottom.

After analyzing the recordings, the researchers discovered that Indochinese flying squirrels (Hylopetes phayrei) and particolored flying squirrels (Hylopetes alboniger) nibbled at grooves within the nuts and adjusted how the nuts had been positioned between Y-shaped tree branches in order that the twigs match higher into nuts’ furrows.

a squirrel hiding nuts in a tree

Flying squirrels had been noticed gnawing on nuts and storing them in between tree branches. (Picture credit score: Han et al/eLife)

When the researchers checked on the saved nuts three and a half months later, they discovered the nuts had not germinated. As nuts saved within the floor usually germinate inside two to 3 months, the staff assume the distinctive storage approach may assist protect the nuts for longer, mentioned Xu.

“We additionally assume the squirrels might have realized the behavior from people that first invented the storage approach,” mentioned Han.

Different specialists not concerned within the research instructed Reside Science the findings assist shine a lightweight on methods animals adapt to environmental challenges.

“This is a crucial and priceless discovery on flying squirrels’ hoarding habits,” Pizza Ka Yee Chow, whose analysis on the College of Chester within the U.Okay. focuses on animal habits and cognition, instructed Reside Science. “The suggestion on storing nuts within the fork of twigs to keep away from germination is feasible, and it’s at all times attention-grabbing to see how animals develop shocking and efficient methods to beat challenges from their surroundings.”

However the habits is just not so totally different to beforehand described squirrel behaviors, mentioned Nathanael Lichti, a panorama ecologist at Purdue College in Indiana. “There are numerous species of squirrels, chipmunks, and mice that gnaw on seeds to arrange them for storage, Lichti instructed Reside Science.

In future, it will be attention-grabbing to discover “whether or not the habits is realized or innate; do younger squirrels do it instinctively, or do they choose it up by watching adults?” mentioned Lichti.

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