Next time you feed the cute, cuddly, wuddly squirrels in the park, be careful – there are imposters lurking in their midsts...

squirrell

These robotic squirrels enable scientists to learn more about how animals communicate. By making a few ‘squirrelly’ motions and a number of realistic remote controlled sounds, these robo-squirrells are able to get a response from their real-life counterparts.

In one experiment, they planted a specimen in the midst of real squirrels and had the robot "bark" and set his tail through a series of motions meant to indicate danger. Then they studied how the other squirrels in the area responded.

There are plenty of other researchers who are also using mechanical animals to learn more about the real thing. In other projects, robots have not only mingled successfully—they've drawn real creatures to follow their lead.

Don’t waste your nuts though... they haven’t been programmed to enjoy them just yet.

Source: CNN