Squirrels are common in many environments, from city parks to suburban backyards. While often associated with nuts, their diet is far more diverse. As omnivores, squirrels naturally consume both plant and animal matter, allowing them to thrive across different seasons and geographical locations.
Natural Diet of Squirrels
A significant portion of a squirrel’s natural diet consists of various plant-based foods. Nuts form a staple, with squirrels favoring acorns, walnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, and beechnuts. These hard-shelled foods are not only a rich source of protein and fat but also help keep their continually growing incisors worn down. Seeds are another important component, including sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and those found in pine cones or other coniferous trees. Squirrels diligently forage for these small, energy-dense items, often burying them for later consumption.
Fruits and berries provide carbohydrates and sugars, making them a favored seasonal food. Squirrels consume wild fruits like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and mulberries, along with apples, plums, grapes, and cherries when available. They also eat various plant parts such as tree buds, flowers, leaves, and tender shoots, adapting their intake based on seasonal availability. During times of scarcity, they may even strip bark from trees to access nutrients.
Beyond plant matter, squirrels consume animal-based items. Insects like grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, and spiders provide essential protein for muscle growth and maintenance. They also feed on bird eggs and hatchlings, particularly when other food sources are scarce or during breeding seasons when protein demands are higher. Some species, like flying squirrels, have a more carnivorous diet, occasionally consuming small animals such as mice, lizards, or amphibians.
Foods to Avoid Feeding Squirrels
While squirrels are opportunistic, many human foods are detrimental to their health. Processed foods like bread, crackers, chips, and sugary snacks offer little nutritional value and can lead to significant health issues. These items are rich in unhealthy fats and sugars, contributing to weight gain, dental problems, and digestive upset. Regular consumption of “empty calories” can cause nutritional deficiencies, making squirrels more susceptible to disease.
Chocolate is particularly harmful to squirrels due to its theobromine content. Theobromine acts as a stimulant and squirrels cannot metabolize it efficiently, leading to its accumulation in their bodies. Ingesting chocolate can result in severe health problems, including heart issues, seizures, internal bleeding, and can even be fatal. Even small amounts can pose a risk, depending on the chocolate type and the squirrel’s size.
Salted nuts and other salty foods are also dangerous for squirrels. Their bodies are not adapted to process high amounts of sodium, which can lead to rapid dehydration. Chronic intake of salt can cause kidney damage, electrolyte imbalances, and neurological symptoms such as tremors or seizures. Even if rinsed, salted nuts may retain enough sodium to be harmful.
Dairy products, including cheese and milk, should be avoided as most squirrels are lactose intolerant. Consuming dairy can cause severe digestive upset, including diarrhea and stomach pain, which can lead to dehydration and weaken the animal. Furthermore, certain raw nuts like peanuts can contain aflatoxins, a type of fungus that can be harmful to their liver. Avocado pits and skins also contain substances toxic to squirrels and should not be given to them.