Squirrels are adaptable omnivores with a diverse diet that varies depending on the season and available resources. While often associated with nuts, their diet encompasses a wide range of plant and animal matter. This article explores the intricacies of a squirrel's diet, including seasonal variations, nutritional needs, and tips for managing their presence around your home.
What Squirrels Eat: An Overview
Squirrels are not picky eaters and will consume both plants and meat. While their diet is predominantly plant-based, they supplement it with meat when possible. The amount a squirrel eats can vary, but they will typically consume about one pound of food per week to maintain their high energy levels.
Seasonal Diet Variations
A squirrel's diet changes throughout the year to take advantage of available food sources.
Fall and Winter
During the fall and winter, squirrels focus on high-energy foods to sustain them through the colder months. They rely on stored food and available water sources like puddles or the water content in their food. Their hoarding behavior is essential for survival, as they remember the locations of their food stashes. Common food sources include:
- Nuts and seeds: Acorns, sunflower seeds, pine nuts
- Fungi: Mushrooms, truffles
- Insects and grubs: Grasshoppers, ant larvae, caterpillars
- Berries and fruit: Blackberries, strawberries, apples, cherries
- Various pine cones
Spring and Summer
In the spring and summer, squirrels have access to a wider variety of foods. They may damage garden crops, such as apples, using their continuously growing front teeth to gnaw through hard exteriors. They obtain water from sources like birdbaths, fountains, puddles, and standing water. Their diet during this period includes:
Read also: Feeding Squirrels the Right Way
- Nuts and seeds: Seeds from trees like maple, oak, and pine
- Fungi: Mushrooms and other fungi
- Fruits: Apples, berries, cherries, plums
- Vegetables: Corn, peas, squash, avocados
- Flowers and plants: Succulents, various flowers, plant buds
Other Dietary Components
Depending on the species, some squirrels consume insects and other animal matter. Flying squirrels, in particular, have a more carnivorous diet, which may include bird eggs, nestlings, and small vertebrates like rodents or amphibians. Infant squirrels rely on their mother's milk until they are about 40 days old and are not fully weaned for another 50 to 70 days.
Nutritional Needs of Squirrels
Squirrels require a balanced diet with the right amounts of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. A diet solely based on nuts, seeds, and vegetables is deficient in calcium, protein, B vitamins, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients.
Essential Nutrients
A well-rounded diet of vegetables and natural foods is essential, but it may not guarantee that squirrels get all the nutrients they need. Henry’s Blocks, made with 100% human-grade ingredients and preservative-free, can provide a squirrel with over 20 essential vitamins, minerals, and the protein they need to stay healthy.
Vegetables
Vegetables provide fiber, fresh vitamin C, and micronutrients. Variety is key, and vegetables can be fed fresh, frozen, or lightly cooked (avoid canned vegetables). All vegetables should be carefully washed before feeding.
- Group 1 and Group 2: Can be fed freely
- Group 3: Should be fed in limited amounts due to high fat, starch, and oxalate content
Wild Foods
Wild foods provide extra nutrients, amusement, exercise, and help keep teeth worn down. It is important to ensure that any unfamiliar wild food is not toxic and has not been sprayed with chemicals. Gather wild foods from safe areas and wash them thoroughly before feeding.
Read also: What Eastern Gray Squirrels Eat
- Safe Trees: Apple, aspen, birch, black walnut, bottlebrush, cherry, dogwood, hickory, locust, magnolia, maple, mulberry, oak, orange, palm (never from the cycad family, which are toxic), pear, pine (3-needle and 5-needle pines), poplar, raintree, spruce, walnut.
- Safe Plants: Dandelion greens, hibiscus, lambsquarters, natal plum, lawn grass, plantain, purslane, red clover, rose hips, white clover, wood sorrel.
- Safe Flowers: Bottlebrush, camelia, carnations, chrysanthemum, daisies, marigold, moss rose, petunia, primrose, portulaca, roses, torenia, tulips, crocus (avoid other bulb flowers, like daffodils and lilies).
- Other: Clean rocks, sea shells, antlers, or a clean box of dirt can provide something to play with, trace minerals, and help keep teeth worn down.
Foods to Avoid
- Acorns (can contain aflatoxin, a deadly and undetectable poison)
- Wild mushrooms
- Cardboard palm, sago palm, all members of the cycad palm family
- Florist flowers (which may be dyed or treated with pesticides or other chemicals)
- Bagged potting soil or dirt from areas where raccoons or other wild animals frequent, as their feces may contain a deadly parasite. Dirt can be sterilized by baking in the oven at 250 degrees for 30-60 minutes.
Treats
Treats are fun and can help with bonding but should always be fed in small amounts after healthy foods have been eaten. Squirrels can be picky and stubborn, so it is important not to allow them to eat too many treats.
- Nuts and Seeds (limit to 2-3 per week): Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts (roasted and unsalted only), pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts.
- Insects: Mealworms, crickets (bought live, dried, or canned from pet stores). Be careful with wild-caught insects as they can carry parasites.
Important Tips
- Clean out the squirrel’s food caches.
Exercise
Squirrels need daily out-of-cage time to run and play, a selection of branches and other things to climb and explore, and at least one active play session with you per day. This will help keep them healthy and happy.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Being overweight causes many health problems and can lead to diabetes, especially in older animals. A squirrel should look sleek and well-muscled and not have rolls of fat.
Squirrels in Urban Environments
Squirrels are opportunistic feeders and will forage for food in various places, especially where they can easily find it. Gardens and farm fields full of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and grain crops are popular choices. However, feeding squirrels human food, especially junk food, can be problematic.
Discouraging Squirrels from Your Property
If you want to keep squirrels away from your home, here are some steps you can take:
Read also: Diet of *Ictidomys tridecemlineatus*
- Secure food sources: Store birdseed, pet food, and other animal feed in sealed, airtight containers.
- Trim tree branches: Cut tree limbs and branches at least six to eight feet from your roof and other structures.
- Remove debris: Clear brush, woodpiles, and other yard debris that could serve as a hiding spot or nesting area.
- Protect gardens: Use fencing, netting, or chicken wire to protect your gardens and other vulnerable plants.
Squirrel Infestations
Squirrels nest in locations close to food and water that provide adequate shelter and security. If you find piles of nuts in and around your home, they’re almost always brought by a squirrel. If you suspect a squirrel infestation, it’s best to contact a professional wildlife removal service.
Squirrel Diversity
Squirrels belong to the Sciuridae family, which includes prairie dogs, chipmunks, and marmots. There are more than 200 species of squirrels, categorized into three types: tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels.
Size
Squirrels range greatly in size. The smallest squirrel is the African pygmy squirrel, which grows to 2.8 to 5 inches in length and weighs just 0.35 ounces. The Indian giant squirrel is the world's largest known squirrel, growing to 36 inches long and weighing up to 4 pounds.
Grey squirrels, commonly found in North America, are medium-size squirrels, growing to 15 to 20 inches in length, with their tails adding an extra 6 to 9.5 inches. They typically weigh about 1 to 1.5 pounds.
Squirrel Behavior
A group of squirrels is called a scurry or dray. They are very territorial and will fight to the death to defend their area. Mother squirrels are the most vicious when defending their babies. Some squirrels are crepuscular, meaning they are only active at dawn and dusk.
Habitat
Squirrels live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Tree squirrels typically live in wooded areas, while ground squirrels dig burrows to live in. Some squirrels also hibernate in burrows during the winter to keep warm. Flying squirrels make their homes in tree holes or nests built into the crooks of branches.
Reproduction
A female carries her young for a gestation period of 29 to 65 days, depending on the size of the species. Mothers give birth to two to eight offspring at one time. Babies are called kits or kittens and are born blind. After seven to eight weeks, the young are weaned. When the kits leave the nest, they don't travel farther than 2 miles from home. Some species of squirrel have new litters every few months or as little as twice per year.
Conservation Status
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List, several species of squirrels are endangered.
Unique Squirrel Traits
Squirrels have four teeth in the front of their mouth that constantly grow throughout their lives. This ensures that their teeth don't wear down from gnawing on nuts and other objects. They have padded feet that cushion jumps from up to 20 feet long. Their eyes are high on their head and placed on each side of the head so they can see a large amount of their surroundings without having to turn their head. They are also fantastic runners, capable of running 20 mph.