How Do Squirrels Find Their Nuts?

The video explores the behavior of squirrels and some birds in storing food. Squirrels use episodic memory to remember where they bury their food, constructing mental maps of their environment. They also employ strategies like creating decoy holes to protect their food from thieves. Birds like Western scrub Jays exhibit similar behaviors, reburying food when they know they are being watched. This challenges the notion that mental time travel is exclusive to humans and higher apes.

What was the initial belief about how squirrels find their buried food?

• They use a map.

• They follow other squirrels.

• They use GPS technology.

• They rely on their sense of smell and luck.

What type of memory do squirrels use to find their food stores?

• Episodic memory

• Procedural memory

• Semantic memory

• Short-term memory

How do squirrels treat food that is more valuable or scarce?

• They ignore it.

• They share it with other squirrels.

• They hide it with more care.

• They eat it immediately.

What strategy do Western scrub Jays use to protect their food from thieves?

• They rebury it when not being watched.

• They cover it with leaves.

• They build nests around it.

• They eat it quickly.

What assumption about mental time travel was challenged by the behavior of squirrels and some birds?

• It is a myth.

• It is only possible for humans.

• It is only used for finding food.

• It requires advanced technology.