What do squirrels eat?

When you walk in the park or forest and see a cute little squirrel jumping flexibly between trees, have you ever wondered what this little guy eats on weekdays? Today, let's take a deeper look at the dietary secrets of squirrels from a professional and relaxed and humorous perspective!

First of all, the nuts that everyone is most familiar with may be the nuts that squirrels love. Acorns, walnuts, pine nuts, these nuts are not only delicious, but also rich in fat and protein, which are excellent energy supplements for squirrels. In autumn, you can always see little squirrels busy hiding nuts in various hidden corners to make adequate preparations for winter. However, although these little guys have a good memory, they often forget their "secret warehouses" and inadvertently help plant many new seedlings. They can be called "little gardeners" in the forest.

In addition to nuts, squirrels are actually out-and-out "omnivores". Zoologists have found that squirrels have a much richer diet than we thought. Fruits, berries, flowers and even tender leaves can all become their daily delicacies. Especially in spring and summer, fresh fruits and tender leaves are their favorite foods.

But you may not expect that little squirrels occasionally become "vegetarians"! That's right, when plant food is insufficient or extra protein is needed, squirrels will also prey on insects, eggs of small birds, and even baby birds. This seemingly cute little animal actually hides a strong instinct for survival in the wild.

It is worth mentioning that zoologists have found that different types of squirrels have different eating habits. For example, gray squirrels mainly feed on nuts, seeds and fruits, while red squirrels prefer pine nuts and seeds of other tree species. Flying squirrels, because they live in the canopy, feed more on buds, flowers and insects.

By studying the diet of squirrels, we also learned that these little creatures play a very important role in the ecosystem. They not only spread plant seeds and help forest renewal, but also control the number of insects and maintain ecological balance.

Next time you see a squirrel, you might as well stop and take a closer look at what food it is holding in its hands. You may find some interesting surprises! After all, the food world of squirrels is rich and exciting!

animal tags： squirrels