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In response to my last squirrel column, I was asked for some clarification about what they eat. More specifically, whether or not they are omnivores. Nature News: What exactly do squirrels eat?
Squirrels can cache as many as 3,000 nuts each season, but remembering where all the nuts are stored seems impossible. Unlike most small mammals whose brains shrink during winter due to reduced ...
These plants offer two deterrents for squirrels: pungent blooms and fuzzy stems and leaves. Squirrels prefer tender, smooth bites. Most gardeners treat geraniums as annuals in flower beds or ...
Squirrels, being primarily herbivores, eat a wide variety of plants, as well as nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, and green vegetation. Some squirrels, however, also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger. [21] [32] Squirrels have been known to eat small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents, as well as bird eggs and insects.
Ground squirrels live in sandy soil due to easy digging and good drainage. [7] Arctic ground squirrels make shallow burrows in areas where the permafrost does not prevent them from digging. [8] The Arctic ground squirrel inhabits dry Arctic tundra and open meadows in the most southern habitats of this species. [6]
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels can survive in hibernation for over six months without food or water and special physiological adaptations allow them to do so. [6] During torpor , these squirrels maintain hydration by redistributing and storing osmolytes like sodium, glucose, and blood urea nitrogen in different body compartments (to be ...
Unlike most squirrels, African pygmy squirrels don't cache food, meaning they don't hide and store their food. Myosciurus pumilio species are omnivorous. These squirrels eat scrapings from bark, insects, and fruit. It is theorized that oily spores from microscopic fungus may be the primary substance these squirrels obtain from the bark.
Squirrels are what's known as opportunistic feeders, meaning that they'll chow down on human food if given the opportunity. Depending on the time of year, squirrels also eat tender leaf buds, wild ...