Squirrels use snake scent for safety

DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Animal researchers say California ground squirrels and rock squirrels mask their scent by chewing up rattlesnake skin and smearing it on their fur.

Barbara Clucas, a graduate student in animal behavior at the University of California Davis, said the scent probably helps to protect the animals from predators, especially when asleep in their burrows at night, the university said Thursday in a release.

Donald Owings, a professor of psychology at UC Davis, said other rodents have been observed using similar behavior.

Owings' lab has found that squirrels can heat up their tails to send an infrared warning signal to rattlesnakes, which can see the infrared, assess how dangerous a particular snake is, based on the sound of its rattle and display assertive behavior against snakes to deter attacks.

The study was published Nov. 28 in the journal Animal Behavior.