A major question in biology involves our understanding of how social connections influence the spread of behavioral innovations in natural populations. In 2024, we documented one such behavioral innovation—the novel emergence of vole hunting in the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi). In the current study, we aimed to explain the mechanisms by which this behavior spread and to use DNA evidence to uncover whether members of our study population consumed other vertebrate prey during the study period. We isolated DNA from 100 fecal samples and used PCR to amplify a 12S local of the vertebrate mitochondrial genome while applying a blocker oligonucleotide to minimize the amplification of ground squirrel DNA. Our genetic data complemented our behavioral observations of vole consumption, and, surprisingly, also revealed the consumption of pocket gophers, salamanders, and three species of mice. Next, we will use network-based diffusion analyses (NBDA) to examine the extent to which the spread of vole consumption is explained by social interactions or shared space use among members of the California ground squirrel study population. Together, our study furthers our understanding of dietary flexibility and highlights the value of molecular tools to inform ecological field studies.
