A novel study by the University of Exeter has unveiled that grey squirrels are very quick learners. They can learn to use tactics that can improve their efficiency and provide them best results.

The research team from the University of Exeter conducted an experiment to test intelligence and mental flexibility of squirrels. The researchers took five squirrels to see how these rodents react to a task having a box with 12 sunken wells. Out of them, four were hollow.

Hazelnuts were placed in the four hollow wells and they were placed diagonally across each other. It was the least efficient way to find out food and also, to check every well in clockwise or anti-clockwise position.

As per the researchers, the most effective way was the 'integrative' approach in which squirrels have to check the two diagonal wells having food.

Before starting the test, the squirrels were trained as how to use their paws and teeth if required to peel the paper covering a nut inside the wells. After making repeated attempts, the researchers came to know that if one well was having a reward then another reward will be found in the well that would diagonally opposite to the first one.

Pizza Ka Yee Chow, from the University of Exeter, was of the view, "This was only a small study, but the results are quite remarkable. The squirrels learned to pick the diagonally opposite well if the first one they picked contained a nut".

The researchers said that it was commendable that squirrels made very less mistakes and kept on changing their strategies in order to increase their efficiency and to have more hidden rewards.