Wild Squirrel Diet
There are more than 200 species of squirrels living in most parts of the world. All types of squirrels scavenge on the ground in order to find food. Squirrels in the wild often eat plants, mushrooms and berries that are toxic to humans. Because they have a relatively short digestive tract, they are able to digest these materials without getting sick.
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Flying Squirrels
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The flying squirrel's diet is similar to that of the ground squirrel and the tree squirrel, but the flying squirrel is known to eat certain kinds of fungi and lichen as well. Like ground squirrels and tree squirrels, the flying squirrel's diet is dependent on its geographic location. Flying squirrels native to southern parts of North America eat pecans, while flying squirrels native to northern parts of North America feed on hickory nuts. In addition to nuts, berries and wild fruit, the flying squirrel also eats some types of lichen and fungi. Flying squirrels have been known to eat carrion, especially during the winter when food is scarce. Like certain kinds of tree squirrels, the flying squirrel also eats tree sap. Also like tree squirrels, flying squirrels often bury food in preparation for winter.
Teeth
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Squirrels have "chisel teeth," which never stop growing and are worn down by constant chewing. Like many rodents, squirrels have four "chisel teeth," two in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw. These teeth are fine and sharp, designed to gnaw through hard food such as seeds and bark. The teeth also never stop growing and are worn down by the squirrel's constant chewing. A squirrel without access to hard foods can starve to death if its teeth become too long, preventing it from eating.
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Baby Squirrels
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Baby squirrels nurse until about eight to nine weeks of age. A typical squirrel litter is two to eight babies, and a female squirrel can have two to three litters per year. The babies are born blind and without fur. Baby squirrels are usually born in a nest or burrow, and they nurse until they are about nine weeks of age. When they leave the nest, the baby squirrels begin scavenging for food.
Winter
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Squirrels often bury food in the ground in preparation for winter. Ground squirrels hibernate during the winter months, usually in tunnels or burrows that they dig in the ground. Tree squirrels do not hibernate, but usually their diets do change during winter because berries, nuts and foliage is scarce. During the winter months, tree squirrels often feed on insects and insect larvae found beneath the bark of trees. Tree squirrels often bury food in preparation for winter and they often will uncover previously buried seeds, acorns and fruit during the winter months. Squirrels seem to locate their stored food by smell rather than memory.
Squirrels in Captivity
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Though squirrels will eat human foods such a potato chips, these foods do not provide proper nutrition. Squirrels in captivity are often fed "squirrel blocks," which are block-shaped pellets containing nutrients found in a wild squirrel's diet. Often, these squirrel blocks contain added sugar as well. Squirrels in captivity also are fed fruits and vegetables, usually cut into small pieces or shredded to make them easier to eat. Captive squirrels often eat nuts, berries and leaves gathered by their keepers in order to maintain as natural a diet as possible.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit squirrel image by Tanya McConnell from Fotolia.com fungi image by Igor Baryshev from Fotolia.com baby grey squirrel sleeping image by Bradlee Mauer from Fotolia.com squirrel eating image by Wolszczak from Fotolia.com squirrel image by Mariusz Blach from Fotolia.com
