Stalking Squirrels for Science
How do squirrels react to being stalked by humans? The answer might surprise you. Have a look at this fun video that addresses this exact issue, with the ultimate purpose of raising some funds for a great cause.
By Carin Bondar
This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
How do squirrels react to being stalked by humans? The answer might surprise you. Have a look at this fun video that addresses this exact issue, with the ultimate purpose of raising some funds for a great cause. Bethany Brookshire (aka @scicurious) of Science News has teamed up with Scott Lewis of Know the Cosmos in order to raise some funds for GeekGirlCon, coming up next month in Seattle.
According to a writeup by Brookshire:
When Bill Bateman was visiting family in New York, he noticed squirrels everywhere. It gave him a testable idea — one that resulted in a published scientific paper. All it took was paying close attention to urban wildlife.His squirrel study showed that our furry friends in cities are very aware of people. They know what we’re doing and whether we’re a threat to them. His data show squirrels monitor the people around them to succeed in their environment. And it shows that conducting a scientific project doesn’t have to rely on fancy lab equipment.
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A fun project for a great cause! Enjoy and donate if you can.
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