Cone shredder

Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Svartskog, Norway

Only after I captured the tongue out on the side did I realize how fast the squirrel is during the shredding of a cone. Oh – I did know it was fast and have enjoyed countless shredding sessions around my house – in fact every late summer since I was a child.

But what have always looked like a teeth and hands process from my vantage point is in fact an even more complex and impressive use of muscles and body parts.

Sitting under one during a cone shredding you’ll see cone pieces falling down at an impressive rate, but I assumed it simply let gravity take care of the inedible parts. I now realise it's not only utilising the tongue very actively but also spits at an impressive speed.

#squirrel #mammals #svartskog

Image Copyright © 2017 +Morten Ross
Image Capture Date: 12 October 2014 13:11
Altitude: 10 meters