Squirrels: Commonplace Rodent Species Is Remarkably Intelligent

Squirrels look all cute and innocent, but make no mistake. These furry rodents from the Sciuridae family are actually pretty darn smart. And it's even more true for what some may see as an invasive species or commonplace pest--the grey squirrel. In fact, these creatures are actually capable of adapting tactics to improve efficiency and reap the best rewards.

For this recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter, they set out to test the intelligence and mental flexibility of five squirrels by observing how the creatures responded to a task invovling a box with 12 sunken wells, four of which were particularly hollow. Of that four, two contained hidden hazelnuts.

Prior to the study, the squirrels were trained so that they became proficient in using their paws or teeth to peel back the layer of paper hiding a nut inside the wells. All of the hazelnuts were placed in the wells diagonally across from each other so that it was the least efficient way for them to locate the food and to check each well in a clockwise or counter-clockwise sequence.

Furthermore, the most effective was an ‘integrative' approach that only allowed the squirrels to check the two diagonal wells that contained food while ignoring the two empty wells. 

Findings revealed that all of the squirrels showed clear improvements over successive attempts with the box while becoming more efficient in adjusting their behavior to adapt to the task.

"This was only a small study but the results are quite remarkable - the squirrels learned to pick the diagonally opposite well if the first one they picked contained a nut," study author Pizza Ka Yee Chow of the University of Exeter, said in a news release. "They made a decreased number of errors as they learned and progressively changed their tactic to increase efficiency and obtain the hidden rewards."

With future studies, researchers noted how they hope to further investigate how animals in general learn about changes in the environment. Furthermore, they hope to examine how flexibility in the environment might allow certain species, such as squirrels, to be successful invaders; learning more about such processes may be the first key to helping control invasive species.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition. 

Related Articles

New York City Squirrels Thrive with Their Urban Lifestyle

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).