How Squirrel secured his nuts

A team of scientists, led by Dr. Stan Boutin from the U of A’s Faculty of Science, has discovered that red squirrels are able to counter the trees’ "swamp and starve" strategy of boom and bust seed production by producing an extra litter of babies in anticipation of a lush season of tree seeds. In an evolutionary game of tug-of-war, red squirrels have gained the upper hand over the cunning spruce trees, says new University of Alberta research that suggests the clever animals are staying one step ahead of its food source.

In a paper published in "Science," Boutin and his international team of researchers, describe how they have studied the relationship between the American and Eurasian red squirrel and the trees they feast on. Over the 20 years Boutin has spent studying this chess match, he has noticed a surprising pattern. Red squirrels are somehow able to predict years when a bountiful crop is about to occur and remarkably produce a second litter of babies to take advantage of the onslaught of food about to arrive

Story Teller: Dr. Stan Boutin from the U of A’s Faculty of Science http://www.physorg.com/news85937631.html

Aknowledgements : John Scott