[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Scientists have found California ground squirrels are evolving in a 'shocking' way - the animals have developed a taste for flesh.A video captured dozens of them hunting, attacking and feasting on rodents for the first time ever.
The bizarre behavior was seen for two weeks at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County as cameras recorded squirrels pouncing on their prey, ripping them apart and consuming the lifeless animal.
On one occasion, scientists watched in horror as a squirrel 'vigorously' shook its prey while holding it in its mouth.
The observations have suggested that these nut foraging creatures are evolving into carnivorous predators.
'This was shocking,' said Dr Jennifer E. Smith, an associate professor of biology at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, who led the study.
'We had never seen this behavior before. Squirrels are one of the most familiar animals to people.'
'We see them right outside our windows; we interact with them regularly.
'Yet here's this never-before-encountered-in-science behavior that sheds light on the fact that there's so much more to learn about the natural history of the world around us.'
Scientists observed 74 interactions between squirrels and voles, which are similar to hamsters, from June 10 to July 30.
And more than 32 of those exchanges ended with the squirrel feasting on the small animal.
The predator typically restrained the rodent with its forepaws and teeth, then deliver one or several bites killing bites to the neck area.
In three of the recorded hunting attempts, squirrels stayed low to the ground and stalked their prey.
Nineteen squirrels chased voles across the landscape, which was usually followed by a pounce to restrain the prey.
Then, the squirrels would go for the kill.
Though they primarily targeted bites to the neck, they sometimes went for other body parts, the researchers noted.
The squirrels successfully captured and killed a vole 55 percent of the time.
These carnivorous eating habits coincided with an explosion of vole numbers in the park.
According to the researchers, this suggests their hunting behavior emerged alongside a temporary increase in the availability of vole prey.
This dietary flexibility may give the squirrels a survival advantage.
Sonja Wild, a behavioral ecologist at UC Davis and author of the study, said in a statement: 'The fact that California ground squirrels are behaviorally flexible and can respond to changes in food availability might help them persist in environments rapidly changing due to the presence of humans.'
While the researchers have been studying squirrels for years, even they were amazed at the findings.
'I could barely believe my eyes,' Wild added.
'We saw that behavior almost every day.
'Once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.'
'This research radically changes our perception of squirrels, one of the most familiar mammals in the world,' lead author Dr Smith told CNN via email.
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