Squirrels are very funny animals, with those little hands and that characteristic furry tail. Some do not know that squirrels are rodents, omnivorous and that they eat a little of everything.
We will now discuss what squirrels eat, but did you know that they are very easy prey for other predators? Many birds, such as eagles, and mammals such as foxes and weasels. For this reason, squirrels always have to be very alert and keep an eye out to avoid being swallowed.
Squirrels eat mostly nuts, all kinds of vegetation and seeds, but some animals also eat earthworms and vegetables such as tomatoes, peas, sweet corn, even cucumbers and bananas. Nuts, they love hazelnuts, walnuts, raisins, etc. And even some flowers can also be eaten. That is, they have a fairly varied diet.
The curiosity caused by these animals is very funny, more than anything, to see how they eat. These little animals eat by holding onto their hind legs and with their front legs, they take the food. At first glance, it seems that the squirrels are sitting and eating with their hands. If you can see a squirrel eating at any time, do not miss it.
Surely, more than once, you have seen squirrels with inflated cheeks and swollen mouths. The reason is that these animals are always taking food, storing it and worrying that later, they will not lack food. Therefore, they store it in the mouth, in the area of the cheeks. For this reason, on some occasions they can be seen with such curious looks. It is because they already have food stored. It will be easier for them to be seen like this in the fall season.
They are rather small animals, although it will depend on the type of species and care, because there are more than five hundred to choose from. The most common are the Korean squirrel and the red squirrel. As for its dimensions, there may be those that measure 30cm, others 21cm and there are those that are very small and measure only 8 centimeters. They can live up to ten years.
The rodents of the forest , which is where they live or used to live in total freedom because unfortunately, due to deforestation, there are more and more, those who have to get used to another habitat. In many mountain areas, where there are roads and houses nearby, it is not strange to be able to see them crossing the roads, looking for food and unfortunately many of them perish, run over by cars or hunted by some unscrupulous person who hunts them as a trophy.
There are pygmy squirrels, which are from the family Scoriae. The squirrels that have a thick and very bushy tail are of the genus Scours. There are many other species, but some, moreover, specifically do not have any taxonomic link and only have the name. For example, flying squirrels that is rodents and is from the Anomaluridae family. Of the papaya species is the bamboo squirrel. From the Samira genus are the squirrel monkeys and similar to the petard which is a marsupial.
Instructions
- So that they do not lack any type of protein, they also have the presence of small insects in their diet. In this way, although they eat everything, they do not lack vitamins.
- They are omnivorous animals. Since they eat everything, both meat and vegetables.
- The foods they eat frequently are a variety of plants, vegetables and fruits both raw and dried.
- Seeds, nuts, eggs of some birds, some fungi, herbs, insects (it is their source of protein) such as crickets, grasshoppers and worms.
- As they have been changing their habitat over time and becoming closer to humans, they are already starting to eat people’s food. Treats such as sugary foods, buns, bread, cookies, chips, etc.
- When they eat, the squirrels stand on their hind legs and with their front legs, they start to eat. It is very funny and peculiar to be able to see them eat because of their little legs (and their nails) and sitting.
- They live in the forests and it is common in wooded areas to be able to see them jumping on branches or looking for food.
- They are animals that seek life and are continually looking for food. To store them, they use their pockets, which is a funny way of saying that they keep it in their mouths. A lot of food can be placed and from there, those images that can be seen of the squirrels with swollen cheeks. In winter they hibernate.
What do you need:
- Squirrels are rodents that live in forests.
- They eat seeds.
- Varied vegetation and almost all kinds.
- Vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, peas, etc.
- Earthworms.
- Nuts. They love hazelnuts, which are, so to speak, their favorite.
- Fruits like bananas.
- You have to be careful not to over-humanize these small rodents because they are animals that are used to living in the forest, jumping from tree to tree, looking for their own food… they should not be fed “human” food, much less, not feed them, pastries, sweets, sugary foods or anything out of the ordinary.
- If you take in a squirrel as a domestic pet, you have to do it from an early age, so that they get used to it, but you must take into account that they need to climb trees, jump, what they should eat and what not…
- If you decide to take her in or have her, always do it in a place with space, with a garden, with trees… so that she feels free, never try to keep her locked up and change her habitat. They can change their behavior and cause problems for the poor animal.
Tips
There is a species called the flying squirrel and they have the ability to glide while jumping or jumping from one tree to another.
They are tiny animals, with a very hairy and thick tail that can measure up to thirty centimeters, with thick and strong hind legs that allow them to have the ability to jump to trees, hook on them and be able to hold on to them while eating. The nails are long and very strong. So much so, that they are capable of holding trees with them. The coat is long and generally brown, although it is true that they have some, areas in very light or very dark tones. The belly area in a white color tone or very light. The rest of the fur can vary depending on the species, between a brown color and a reddish tone.
The teeth they have never stop growing, for this reason it is very important that they are biting and chewing with their teeth, so that they do not have problems that derive from their teeth and in the end, they may have respiratory and feeding problems.
Keep in mind that, despite being beautiful animals, small in size and very funny and cuddly, they are not pets. Therefore, you must avoid keeping them by your side and making them stay at home, because it can bring more problems than satisfaction. If you like them, observe them in their habitat, but do not keep them.
Don’t start giving them food that we humans eat either, because squirrels have their own food and if they continue to eat sweets, sugar, foods that they shouldn’t eat, they start to gain weight and although it seems funny because of its size, it’s not at all good. On the contrary… many diseases, problems of all kinds, less agility when it comes to being able to jump from trees, climb, run… Therefore, avoid giving them food that you shouldn’t. Discard it immediately , forget what was said, sausages, potatoes, sweets, food dishes that we can make at home… if you want to give the squirrels food or something to eat, whether they are nuts, bananas, seeds, vegetables etc.
Squirrels are very intelligent animals and when it comes to eating, they can be very patient and extremely stealthy and intelligent enough to hunt bird eggs. What they do to achieve this is to wait for the mothers to leave and that is when they come into action and attack the eggs.
