Arctic Squirrel Study Shows Why Males Are More Likely To Be Eaten
Researchers used tiny trackers to follow the squirrels' movements. While females chased after food and their babies, males hung out above ground, basking in the sun, making them easy pickings.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. To understand why male Arctic squirrels in Alaska are more likely than females to be eaten by predators, researchers used tiny fitness trackers to follow their movements. Their findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, while female squirrels scurry around during summer months foraging for food and caring for babies, males spend time hanging out above ground. And apparently, basking in the sun makes them easy pickings. It's MORNING EDITION.
Copyright © 2016 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.