When you recollect of a squirrel , your mind is probably more drawn to images of precious littlewoodland creatures , or even a critter inter acorn in the park . However , for researchers in Japan the tale gets a slight more grisly , as they observed a squirrel chowing down on a osseous tissue .

Nipponese squirrels(Sciurus lis ) are more well - bonk for eating seed , flowers , and fruit , and Nipponese walnut can make up as much as35 percentof their annual diet in sure area of Japan . However , several individuals have been see gnaw at on the bones of sika cervid ( Cervus nippon ) in Chino City , Nagano Prefecture , Japan .

“ I first observe this behavior on July 10 , 2023 , I observed a female squirrel gnaw on the bone for about five second , ” study authorKenji Suetsugutold IFLScience .

While this is a pretty unusual and quite freaky behaviour the squad also noticed something else about the squirrel that were eat the pearl . They found that those with a tendency to jaw the bones were in fact lactating mother squirrels .

The conduct of squirrel gnawing on bones exemplify how animals can find creative solutions to encounter their nutritional needs !

“ The samara to understanding this behavior seems to lie in the observation that many individuals prosecute in it are give suck mothers . distaff squirrels potential experience increased mineral want during their reproductive and nursing periods , and wear away on off-white could help them evolve essential mineral like Ca and phosphorus . So far , I have only observed breast feeding female exhibiting this behaviour , and it remains undecipherable whether males also gnaw on finger cymbals , ” explained Suetsugu .

This is not as unusual as it sound . There was also ananecdotal reportof a unlike squirrel mintage eat on bones in 1940 , the eastern gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ) , which also reverse out to be lactating mothers .

The researchers consider that gnawing on thebonesproves the mother with mineral such as calcium and P , which would be take due to the increase energy and mineral requirements of breeding and feed offspring . The team have even note that the behavior is not limited to cervid bones , suggesting that the squirrels are reasonably resourceful in meeting theirmineral indigence .

“ In terms of calcium , bones might be the best available source . I have also observed Japanese squirrel wear away on diminished animal bones and Snake River bones in the past times . ”

While the sight of an endearing Japanese squirrel manducate on a cervid jawbone might send shivers down your spine , at least you now know that they are keep the next genesis of squirrel salubrious .

“ It ’s fascinating to see how animals adapt to their environments in unexpected ways . The behavior of squirrel wear away on pearl exemplifies how animate being can line up originative solution to fit their nutritionary needs ! " concluded Suetsugu .

The sketch is print inFrontiers In Ecology and the Environment .