Ground Squirrel Eats Snakeskin – True Story!
Golden-mantled ground squirrel eating cast-off snakeskin
I was taken aback when I saw this golden-mantled ground squirrel in Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado drag off a discarded snakeskin and then start eating it!
I had never heard of such a thing. A search of the web reveals it is probably a way that squirrels keep from being eaten by snakes. No, it’s not like stealing their souls. It’s called “olfactory camouflage.”
Apparently snakes have a good sense of smell. When the squirrel chews or eats the skin, it then licks its fur to make it smell more like a snake than a squirrel!
Putting on Eau du Serpent perfume
Pretty darn clever, huh?
Text and photographs copyrighted by Cindy McIntyre
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Website: CindyMcIntyre.com
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t - That's Me said,
July 30, 2014 at 7:47 am
Hmmmmm. I never knew. Thanks for letting us into the “know.” 🙂
Pam Leonard said,
August 1, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Nature is freaking amazing. Love golden mantled ground squirrels anyway, and now they’re geniuses to boot.