This squirrel watches its neighbor's back
Barbary ground squirrels look for predators together as a survival
strategy

Date:
October 29, 2021
Source:
University of Cincinnati
Summary:
Unlike meerkats that take individual turns watching for predators
while the rest forage, Barbary ground squirrels found off the coast
of Africa stand sentry together -- a behavior called synchronous
vigilance, according to a new study.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
Just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean everything isn't actually trying to kill you.


========================================================================== Ground squirrels have few natural defenses against predators, so they
rely on an early warning system to identify threats and alert others to
run for cover.

But unlike meerkats that take individual turns standing watch while the
rest forage, ground squirrels found off the coast of Africa keep watch
together -- a behavior called synchronous vigilance, according to a new
study published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

Lead author Annemarie van der Marel, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cincinnati, spent three winters studying Barbary ground squirrels, an invasive species introduced to the Canary Islands from
Morocco on Africa's mainland. The almond-eyed, striped rodents with
bushy tails live in colonies and take shelter underground in a network
of burrows like other ground squirrels.

"They're pretty cute. People had them as pets and that's how they were introduced to the Canary Islands in 1965," she said.

"I looked at whether and why they were social. I began studying the
strategies for how they evade predation and increase survival. That's
how I got to the question of the synchronous vigilance of the species,"
she said.



==========================================================================
Prey animals such as kangaroos and wild boar also use synchronous
vigilance to stay safe, van der Marel said.

Co-author Marta Lo'pez Darias, a researcher with the Institute of
Natural Products and Agrobiology in Spain, said the synchronized behavior increased with the size of the group, similar to observations made in
other species that use this defense mechanism.

Unusual for ground squirrels, the populations found in the Canary Islands
are as comfortable in the trees as on the ground, she said. They seem to
prefer high vantage points such as the old rock walls above the fields
and ravines where they can scan all angles of their surroundings. On
the Canary Islands' Fuerteventura, the squirrels face daily threats from domestic cats and birds of prey like buzzards and common kestrels.

"When they forage, they're most vulnerable," van der Marel said. "So
the squirrels have to balance the time spent foraging and being
vigilant. Their main defense mechanism is being watchful and alerting
other group members to escape predation." To find food, the squirrels
set out daily from their underground dens to forage for roots, seeds
and fruit. Active in the day, they rely on their keen vision to detect
threats from the air and land. The alarm call of a nearby squirrel will
alert others and may send some running for the safety of rock piles or the nearest burrow. Often, other squirrels will join in the watchful vigil.

The animals can't look for food and be on high alert for predators at
the same time. So throughout the day they stop what they're doing to
scan the environment together, often from a higher vantage point, van
der Marel said.

Virtually all the squirrels spend time standing watch during the
day. About one-third of the time, they do so alone. But 40% of the time,
they have company. And when a predator is observed, multiple squirrels
stop to stand watch 60% of the time, the study found.

Researchers found that squirrels that spent more time watching still
found enough food to remain in good physical condition. Likewise, their extended vigilance did not affect their overall survival rates.

"There are plentiful resources and less predation pressure, so they
don't have to forage as much," she said.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Cincinnati. Original
written by Michael Miller. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Annemarie van der Marel, Jane M. Waterman, Marta
Lo'pez-Darias. Barbary
ground squirrels do not have a sentinel system but instead
synchronize vigilance. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2021;
75 (11) DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03094-1 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211029134045.htm

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