Decapitated Squirrels (3 Viewers)

[KC Foggin]

What animal would only take the head off squirrels. Found two young squirrels, bodies completely intact but missing heads. Not a lot of blood around. Fur seemed to be intact and not ripped. Why just the head?

 

[KnockerNorton]

many species are primarily interested in the brain, both mammals and birds, hence you get headless chickens when a fox has raided a coop and headless birds when a peregrine has made a kill.

 

[danehower]

many species are primarily interested in the brain, both mammals and birds, hence you get headless chickens when a fox has raided a coop and headless birds when a peregrine has made a kill.

that is pretty interesting. Is it a matter of protein ?

 

[Farnboro John]

many species are primarily interested in the brain, both mammals and birds, hence you get headless chickens when a fox has raided a coop and headless birds when a peregrine has made a kill.

Is that really so? I know the Gyr at Berry Head habitually ripped Jackdaw heads off and discarded them.

John

 

[lashinala]

Also, if you have someone hunting squirrels for their brains the may just cut off the heads and bring them with 'em (my grandfather used to do this). Check the bodies for pellets/entry wounds.

 

[KnockerNorton]

Is that really so? I know the Gyr at Berry Head habitually ripped Jackdaw heads off and discarded them.

John

It maybe found big beaks a pain to handle, or was not after fats.

Brains are full of energy, as they contain about 2-3 times the fat of muscle. They contain less than half the protein of muscle. So if a bird catches a lean prey, then the brain is the fattiest bit. And most prey species limit their body fat, so they can keep nimble - there is a lot of evidence that fatter birds fall victim to predators much more than leaner birds. So birds actually limit their body fat when predators are around. But they can't limit the fat in their brains.