Animal Behavior Research on Fox Squirrels

Fox squirrels flick their tails when they can’t get a cherished nut in much the same way that humans kick a vending machine that fails to deliver the anticipated soda or candy bar, according to new UC Berkeley research. <br /> <br />In what is thought to be among the first studies of frustration in free-ranging animals, the findings, published online in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, suggest that animal tail movements reveal their emotional states, particularly the exasperation they feel when stymied during problem-solving tasks. <br /> <br />Lead author Delgado and fellow UC Berkeley researchers tracked 22 fox squirrels in their leafy habitats on the campus, putting them through a series of foraging tasks that had them puzzle their way into various open and locked containers to get to nuts or grains. <br /> <br />The more frustrated the squirrels became – especially if the container was locked — the more they flicked their bushy tails.