The sight of a squirrel wrestling with a pine cone is common in many forested areas, yet the effort involved suggests the reward must be substantial. This behavior is a highly specialized feeding strategy aimed at accessing a dense, high-energy food source. The interaction between squirrels and pine cones is focused on the tiny, protected seeds hidden within the woody structure. Understanding this effort reveals why these animals invest so much time into what appears to be a difficult meal.
The Primary Goal: Nutrient-Rich Pine Seeds
Squirrels target the small, soft seeds nestled between the cone’s hard, indigestible scales. These seeds, often called pine nuts, are a powerhouse of concentrated nutrition necessary for survival. Their nutritional profile is especially rich in fats, sometimes containing up to 52% fat by weight, resulting in extremely high caloric density.
The high fat content provides the energy reserves necessary to fuel the squirrel’s active metabolism, especially during cold weather. The seeds also contain substantial levels of protein and carbohydrates, often around 21% each. By targeting the cone before it opens and disperses its seeds naturally, the squirrel secures a reliable, high-value package of calories.
Specialized Technique for Cone Dissection
The seemingly random chewing behavior is actually a highly efficient, systematic process of dissection. The animal firmly grasps the cone with its forepaws and begins stripping away the woody scales using its sharp incisor teeth. This process starts at the base of the cone, the widest end, and works progressively upward toward the tip.
As the squirrel removes a scale, it extracts the two small seeds protected underneath before rotating the cone and repeating the action. This rapid rotation and stripping motion allows a skilled squirrel to dismantle an entire cone in minutes. The leftover piece is a bare central axis, often called a cone core or a cobb, which looks similar to the core of an eaten ear of corn. The discarded scales litter the ground around the feeding perch, providing a clear visual record of the squirrel’s labor.
The Role of Cones in Survival Caching
The act of eating a pine cone is often preceded by larder hoarding, a significant survival strategy. Species like the American red squirrel harvest cones when they are still green and closed, nipping them off the branches. They must gather the cones before they dry out and open, which would cause the valuable seeds to scatter and be lost.
The squirrels then transport these unopened cones to a centralized storage location known as a midden. A midden is typically a massive pile of cones, sometimes numbering in the thousands, often located in a cool, damp area like the base of a tree or under a log. Burying the cones within this debris helps maintain high humidity. This damp environment prevents the green cones from drying out, keeping the scales tightly closed and locking the seeds inside for months of winter consumption.