Squirrels are worth watching
Think someone is a bit “squirrely?” it could mean more than just thinking they have “nutty” behavior.
Why? Because UC Davis researchers recently studied the golden-mantled squirrels commonly found in the western U.S. and learned that they actually have personalities similar to humans. People have what psychologists call the “Big Five” personality traits and squirrels have four of them—boldness, aggressiveness, activity levels, and sociability, which was an unexpected outcome.
The relatively new scientific field of studying animal personality has become a necessity because there are ecological consequences of animal personality behavior. Also, understanding how an animal’s personality influences space usage could help conservation efforts aimed at saving endangered species from extinction. Furthermore, researchers hope that the more people understand wildlife, the more willing they’ll be to conserve them.