Abstract:Bite force can be a limiting factor in foraging and can significantly affect the competitive ability and lifetime fitness of mammals. Tamiasciurus squirrels feed primarily on conifer seeds and have a strong bite force to mechanically extract seeds from conifer cones with their mouths. In the North Cascades region, Douglas squirrels (Tamiasciurus douglasii) and red squirrels (T. hudsonicus) occupy ecologically different forests with different hardnesses in conifer cones. The ranges of these species overlap in a… Show more
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