Rattlesnakes and squirrels exchanging messages

Just like humans, animals cross species apparently also have their own way to communicate. Interestingly, predators and prey such as rattlesnakes and squirrels also has its own methods of thought researchers alike understood by both types of animals. How can it be?

Matthew Barbour, a biologist from the University of British Columbia said that earlier studies have discussed about how the squirrels waved their tails when they come rattlesnake predators, or even when there was no snake at all.

Barbour then took a team of researchers from San Diego State University to examine how to communicate with rattlesnakes and squirrels. They found that squirrels move their tails when there are snakes all of them can escape when the snake attacked. But the squirrel that looks passive avoidance tend to be late so that the snake managed to pounce on them.

"The snake itself attacked as squirrel tail position is quiet and very close," said Barbour.

So, when the position of the squirrel more than 20 cm away and the tail moves, the rattlesnakes are rarely attacked. In contrast, although the distance is very far from the snake squirrel, then the predator will attack if the squirrels do not tetep move their tails.

Barbour describes the movement of the tail on the squirrel as if giving a message to the snakes that they are alert and ready to dodge. In addition, the movement of the tail is the code for other squirrels and snakes lose the opportunity to attack the herd of squirrels.

The study was expected to be utilized for further research in understanding the behavior of predators and prey.