Animal Psychology: How Squirrels Learn to Steal

By Queuebot in Animals & Pets, Crime & Law, Science & Tech on Aug 13, 2009 at 5:00 pm

Scientists interested in the ability of gray squirrels learn from watching other squirrels have come up with an ingenious (albeit a bit iffy from a moral perspective) study: teaching ‘em to steal!

The study suggests that squirrels are primed to recognise other squirrels as potential food thieves. It also shows that they learn more quickly from real life observations.

Corresponding author Dr Lisa Leaver of the University of Exeter, said: “Our study is significant because it is the first to show that grey squirrels learn from observing others. It adds to growing evidence that all kinds of animals, from humans and other primates to many species of birds, learn from observation and that they have evolved to learn quickly about those things that are most important to their lives – in the case of grey squirrels, gathering and storing nuts.”

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by coconutnut.


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  1. sc0tty
    Aug 13th, 2009 at 5:12 pm

    My weasely roommates are always stealing my food. Maybe they’re actually part squirrel.

  2. star4589
    Aug 13th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    Dont all species learn from observing each other?

  3. LuluZ
    Aug 13th, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    Stealing is a human concept. For squirrels, it’s probably about survival.

  4. nolly
    Aug 13th, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    I always knew there was a reason to be suspicious of those wily creatures.

  5. Edward
    Aug 13th, 2009 at 7:22 pm

    LuLuZ is quite right. This seems anthropomorphic with an overtone of Easop.

  6. johnqpublic
    Aug 13th, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    The squirrels watch other squirrels to see where they hide their nuts, then they sneak in and steal them when the original squirrel has gone. That’s the same idea as any human cat burglar robbing a rich person. It’s a shortcut to wealth that cuts out the hard work of acquiring the resources in both squirrel and human cases.

  7. Found in Yonkers
    Aug 13th, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    I see this everyday in my yard. Did not need a scientist to tell me this. ALL animals do this! This is not a shock to anyone that admires animals.

  8. blitz
    Aug 14th, 2009 at 2:22 am

    I’m pretty sure they’re just taking whatever food they can find. They probably dont even understand the concept of stealing.

  9. Foreigner1
    Aug 14th, 2009 at 3:18 am

    Stealing implies a notion of the concepts of good and bad, mine and yours.
    Do animals have such notions?

    What I wonder is how far this abiliy goes- Waht makes that the ability to learn new tricks is there and what makes that some abilities at some point simply are out of reach?
    Do squirrels or apes or birds or humans or whatever get more intelligent over the generations of learning? Do they really amass knowledge, or is there some finite level of being able to keep abilities learned?
    Most of us humans at some point in age seem to somehow think that the need to learn is not there anymore. But by what factor(s) is that point defined?

  11. Dave
    Aug 15th, 2009 at 12:10 am

    Since when does human morality apply to squirrelkind?

  12. Matt
    Aug 15th, 2009 at 7:37 pm

    I’ll believe that it’s stealing when the animals start hiring squirrel lawyers to start arguing that it’s not stealing when they do it to each other here.


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