Squirrels are adaptable creatures inhabiting a variety of environments, from dense forests to urban parks. Understanding their dietary habits provides insight into their ecological role and how they interact with their surroundings. These energetic rodents play a part in seed dispersal, influencing plant distribution in ecosystems.
The Natural Squirrel Diet
Squirrels are omnivores, consuming a diverse range of foods. Their primary diet consists largely of plant matter, especially nuts such as acorns, walnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, and hazelnuts. Seeds are another significant food source, including pine seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. They also forage for fruits and berries, like apples, blackberries, blueberries.
Beyond nuts and seeds, squirrels consume fungi, including mushrooms and truffles, which provide essential minerals and nitrogen. Plant matter like leaf buds, flowers, shoots, and tree bark are also part of their diet. While primarily herbivorous, squirrels exhibit opportunistic feeding behaviors. They occasionally supplement their diet with animal matter, such as insects, caterpillars, bird eggs, and even small invertebrates or young snakes when other food sources are scarce.
Seasonal and Regional Variations
A squirrel’s diet changes seasonally, driven by food availability. In spring, squirrels seek fresh plant materials like tender buds, new shoots, and flowers. Early season seeds from trees like maple and elm also become a food source. They also consume insects and larvae for protein.
During summer, squirrels eat fruits and berries like strawberries and blueberries. They also consume green vegetation, including leaves. As autumn approaches, their focus shifts to high-energy foods like nuts and seeds, which they collect and cache for the colder months. Winter relies heavily on their stored caches of nuts and seeds. They emerge from their nests primarily to retrieve buried food, and may also consume tree bark and fungi.
Urban environments offer different food opportunities compared to wild habitats. While wild squirrels primarily rely on natural foraging, urban squirrels may also encounter human food sources, including leftovers and bird feeder contents. This adaptability allows them to thrive in diverse settings, though it can also expose them to unsuitable foods.
Foods to Never Offer Squirrels
Certain foods are harmful for squirrels. Processed human foods like bread, crackers, chips, sugary snacks, and fast food lack essential nutrients and can lead to health problems. These items often contain preservatives, artificial colors, and excessive sugar or salt. Sugary foods can cause dental decay, obesity, and even diabetes, while salty foods lead to dehydration and put strain on their small hearts and kidneys.
Chocolate is dangerous due to the presence of theobromine, a compound toxic to many animals, including squirrels. Ingesting chocolate can result in symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal upset to seizures, heart problems, and even death, as squirrels cannot metabolize theobromine efficiently. Dairy products are also problematic because squirrels have difficulty digesting lactose, which can cause stomach discomfort.
Furthermore, some commonly offered nuts can be detrimental. Peanuts, which are legumes and not true nuts, have poor nutritional value for squirrels and can contain a fungus (aflatoxins) that may cause liver damage or neurological issues. They also contain a trypsin inhibitor, which can prevent protein absorption, leading to malnutrition. Cashews, while not outright toxic, are high in phosphorus and can deplete calcium, potentially leading to calcium deficiency and metabolic bone diseases if consumed in large quantities. Therefore, it is best to avoid feeding them to squirrels.