Squirrels come to our attention this time of year, as they scamper about the yard gathering their winter stores. Often we think of them as manic, even slightly human-like in their behaviors. Could we be incorrectly ascribing human traits to a lowly rodent? Anyone who has watched a scurry of tree squirrels take nuts from a feeding table realize they are sociable, bold, athletic and occasionally aggressive. The University of California, Davis says perhaps
NOT. Animal behaviorists have studied the golden mantle squirrel,
Callospermophilus lateralis, which is a ground squirrel common to the western United States. Their study, published in the journal,
Animal Behavior, claims to be the first to document personality in this squirrel species. Personality is defined as consistent behaviors over time. Behaviorist consider the golden mantle squirrel to be "asocial". They are relatively small, giving them little opportunity to form the tighter social bonds common in larger ground and tree squirrels, which typically spend more time in family units while reaching maturity. [photo credit: R. Loznak]
According to the data collected over three years, squirrels with more extrovert personalities covered more ground, collected more resources, and assumed the best perches for surveying their surroundings for food and predators compared to their shy, introverted counterparts. Makes sense right? As in humans, social skills contribute to an individual's well-being. Studying personality in animals is in its infancy, but there is a growing number of studies on individuality of squirrels. There is also a growing awareness that personality in animals have ecological consequences. Bolder animals may collect more food, but their consistent behavior exposes them to more risks. Personality could be a useful indicator of whether a species or an individual can adapt successfully to human induced changes in their habitat.
