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Arctic Squirrel Study Shows Why Males Are More Likely To Be Eaten

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. To understand why male Arctic squirrels in Alaska are more likely than females to be eaten by predators, researchers used tiny fitness trackers to follow their movements. Their findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, while female squirrels scurry around during summer months foraging for food and caring for babies, males spend time hanging out above ground. And apparently, basking in the sun makes them easy pickings. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.