![]() ![]() Samantha Sydor, a fourth-year Bachelor of Science student, also works alongside Dr. ![]() That means unfamiliar sounds from potential thieves could pose a real threat. In a squirrel’s world, that matters, she says, because food theft is a real issue (a late 1990s study found that up to 92 per cent of a squirrel’s food is stolen from their neighbours). Digweed uses audio technology to see if there are components of the audio that a squirrel might use to distinguish between individuals. “So now we’re in the process of trying to understand how they might respond to a squirrel call they don’t recognize.”Īfter recording different squirrel sounds, Dr. “They can potentially recognize each other’s voices,” she explains. Digweed.ĭigweed’s research not only looks at what’s being communicated, but whether squirrels can tell who’s talking. “Squirrels live alone in small areas and don’t really like to share, so they often communicate to tell other neighbouring squirrels to get out of their space or to warn them not to take their food,” explains Dr. In the past, they’ve looked at how squirrels make and receive calls in response to a predator’s presence, but now the research team’s focus is territorial calls. Digweed and student researchers in her Animal Communication and Cognition Lab record the range of sounds squirrels make, then conduct computer analyses to see what’s being said. Digweed looks for squirrels in Whitemud Creek Ravine.Īt green spaces in the city, including an area in Whitemud Creek Ravine, Dr. “That’s why most of their communication relates to making sure that they have enough food to last them through the coldest months.”ĭr. “Squirrels have a pretty tough life – they’re one of only a few small mammals that don't hibernate, and surviving the winter is hard work,” says the associate professor in the departments of psychology and biological sciences. Shannon Digweed has spent more than two decades deciphering the meaning behind the vocalizations of these incredibly hardy rodents. ![]()
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