Those climate change deniers who claim the warming is part of a natural cycle and not because of man's activities have a new excuse. Blame the squirrels!
"They are soil engineers. They break down the soil when they are digging their burrows, they mix the top layer with the bottom layer, they are bringing oxygen to the soil and they are fertilizing the soil with their urine and their faeces."
The team found that this activity meant that their burrows were warmer than the surrounding ground.
Mr Golden said: "We saw an increase in soil temperature in the soils where the arctic ground squirrels were occupying.
"This is a major component. As that permafrost begins to warm, now microbes can have access to these previously frozen carbons that were in the soil.
"And because they mix the soil layers, they are being exposed to warmer temperatures."
Net effect is that more greenhouse gases are being released. What's worth pointing out is that although the effects of the fauna on the permafrost have not previously been taken into account, they will be minimal compared to the CO2 release by fossil fuel burning.