Being a herbivore might sound like a peaceful way to live, but not all vegetarian animals appear to subscribe to the non-violent ethos. A new study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B documents the murderous behavior of female prairie dogs in Colorado, which have been observed slaying Wyoming ground squirrels despite being herbivores. Given that these chubby-cheeked rodents do not kill for food, researchers set out to establish the reason for their violent tendencies. Female prairie dogs rear their offspring in burrows, and obtain the majority of their food from the region...
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