What do squirrels eat? Many would say nuts or acorns. Am I psychic? Nope. When you mention squirrels, we almost instinctively think nuts and fruits as being the main part of their diet. Most people are not aware that squirrels have a varied diet. For starters squirrels eat animal matter too, they are not afraid to chomp away at some freshly served up meat. So you may be asking yourself, do squirrels eat fish?  

Squirrels do eat fish. They will eat this seafood on occasion if it’s convenient to eat fish or if there is a food shortage. They are not picky with the fish that they eat and will eat many types of fish including sushi, salmon, tuna, mackerel and goldfish to name a few.

Do squirrels eat fish?

These animals will eat fish if need be, this may not be the easiest food to access but if push comes to shove then squirrels will eat fish. Note: yes they will east fish but they generally won’t eat fish from your ponds. They tend to dislike water and will avoid it when they can, more on this later.

A squirrel will definitely reach for a dead fish if the seafood is on dry land. This is the most convenient and easy way for squirrels to access fish. Their willingness to eat fish is the result of squirrels being opportunistic eaters, if they have the opportunity to eat something they probably will.

You may be wondering, “if squirrels aren’t fond of swimming how do they get fish?” Squirrels are incredibly resourceful animals who will snatch a recently dead fish from the sides of ponds or fish tanks. They will even help themselves to any fish in our trash cans or in your unattended fresh catch bucket.

Do squirrels swim?

They do! Squirrels are good swimmers, but they generally avoid water, they have a fear of sinking and thus keep to land if possible. That being said, a squirrel can swim and will swim as part of their method of retreat from a predator. They will even swim to get to a meal across the way.

Still, they are not too fond of swimming and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll see them in action. They tend to keep close to grassy patches where there is a good amount of trees to nest in. Swimming is not a fun pastime for squirrels even though they can.

What kinds of fish do squirrels eat?

These animals aren’t picky eaters so if its sushi, salmon, tuna, mackerel, goldfish, or any other variety, they’re willing to give it a try. Incidentally, they only dine on fish out of desperation. Fish isn’t their desired food, but they won’t shy away from having second helpings if it’s available.

What makes up the bulk of a squirrel’s diet?

What squirrels really prefer to eat are plant-based foods. They love plant-based foods so much that they even nibble bits of tree bark as a tasty sodium-rich snack. The list of what makes up the bulk of a squirrel’s diet includes:

• Fruits and berries
• Flowers
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Fungi
• Tree bark
• Plant shoots
• Plant seeds

Do squirrels eat other squirrels?

Yes, squirrels sometimes eat other squirrels. There isn’t always an accessible supply of enough food for squirrels to eat and thus they will eat almost anything in order to survive. Evolution has made them omnivores.

In addition, they are opportunistic feeders who will feed on whatever is available. So yes, these cute cuddly animals have cannibalistic tendencies.

Squirrels will eat other squirrels that have succumbed to injuries, squirrels that have died either from predator attack and roadkill squirrels will be eaten by other hungry squirrels.

Conclusion

In conclusion, squirrels do eat fish but this only happens on occasion when it’s convenient for them. These animals avoid water and thus will be less likely to prey on fish. They will eat fish if they find a freshly dead fish on the side of a water body or in the trash.

Squirrels are not picky and will eat fish such as sushi, salmon, tuna, mackerel and goldfish. The bulk of a squirrel’s diet are fruits, berries, flowers, vegetables, nuts, fungi, tree bark, plant shoots and plant seeds. Squirrels will eat other squirrels as well.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other squirrel related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why does my squirrel nibble on me?, Do squirrels attack rabbits?, Why are squirrels so twitchy?, Do squirrels eat dog food?