Hibernating squirrels and hamsters evolved to feel less cold

The ground squirrel and the Syrian hamster, two rodents that hibernate in the winter, do not feel cold in the same way as non-hibernators, such as rats or mice. Yale researchers have discovered that hibernating rodents evolved ...

Ground squirrels use the sun to hide food

Ground squirrels use information on the position of the sun when hiding their food and reuse this information to find their food stash again. The position of the sun serves as a reference point for the animals, which live ...

Prairie dogs found to kill competing squirrels

(Phys.org)—A pair of researchers, one with the University of Maryland, the other the University of Tulsa, has found that white-tailed prairie dogs living on the North American prairie, sometimes kill ground squirrels that ...

A step toward understanding how hibernation protects hearts

Wintry weather means hats and scarves for some mammals, and hibernation for others. Hibernation dramatically lowers body temperatures, heart rates and oxygen consumption—things that would be fatal to other animals. A team ...

Professor uses data gathered from squirrels to make music

The squirrels are wary at first. They carefully sniff at the traps set on the chilly ground of Alaska's north slope, suspicious of their sudden arrival. But soon, unable to resist the temptation of the small bits of carrot ...

Arctic ground squirrel sheds light on circadian rhythms

The Arctic ground squirrel has developed highly specialized adaptations to extreme environments, and it has a lot to teach us about circadian rhythms and biological clocks. This species maintains circadian rhythms throughout ...

How rodents bulk up for winter without going nuts

When Arctic ground squirrels need to bulk up for winter, they get a boost from an enormous spike in the levels of steroids in their blood. So why doesn't it lead to 'roid rage?

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