Cannibalism happens in the animal kingdom, even among the cutest and most docile looking creatures. So one may ask “do squirrels eat squirrels?” Truth be told most of us believe that these furry coat, toothy creatures only eat fruits and nuts, particularly acorns. But squirrels are rather open-minded about what they eat. If you want to find out more about squirrel diets and if their diets include each other then read on.

Squirrels in fact do eat other squirrels. This cannibalistic behaviour mainly happens in squirrels when there are no other food sources available or if the squirrel is under stress. This happens when there is a lack of food in the area. Adult red squirrels kill and sometimes eat red squirrel pups as well.

Do squirrels eat squirrels?

It may be a grim thing to think about but it does happen. Under certain conditions, squirrels will eat other squirrels. Generally, if there is enough food available then a squirrel won’t eat another squirrel, that being said, there are several occasions where a squirrel will eat another squirrel.

One case where a squirrel may eat another squirrel is if there is a shortage of calcium or protein in their diet, if this happens all bets are off and a squirrel may attack and eat another. If a mother or a pregnant squirrel is particularly stressed she will eat her own young. Squirrels aren’t the only animals that do this, rats, hamsters and mice do this as well.

Cannibalism in squirrels can also happen if a squirrel gets run over by a vehicle, the squirrels in the area will run over and eat the remains of the animal. In addition, North American red squirrel pups also suffer and fall victim to the attacks of adult red squirrels in the area.

What meats do squirrels eat?

First off, you should understand that squirrels are one of natures most skilled survivalists and a serial planner. They are always planting nuts in preparation for those colder days. They also adapt their diets to fit whatever happens to be available to munch on. Essentially, they are omnivores but have a historical preference for fruits, nuts, plants, and tree branches.

Since nuts can be stored ahead of time for colder days, squirrels are often seen hoarding nuts. But they do enjoy the sumptuous meats of bugs, insects, eggs, carrion, and the occasional squirrel too. While they don’t generally hunt and prey on other squirrels, when hungry they won’t refuse a meaty plate of roadkill squirrel. It’s a survival thing.

How do squirrels catch their meat?

If you’ve ever seen a squirrel run up a tree, you’ll know the answer to this one. They are fast as can be, scurrying about and scampering up trees. A targeted bug doesn’t stand a chance.

Even small birds can fall prey to a hungry squirrel looking for meat. Most often they find meat either from roadkill or while rummaging a few trash cans. A dead squirrel left on the interstate will find itself being meat for other squirrels. On a sad note, stressed and confused mommy squirrels will cannibalize her young as well.

What else do squirrels eat?

Squirrels survival instincts are top-notch as such they aren’t real picky eaters. Besides fruits, nuts, plants, tree bark, eggs, insects, dead squirrels, and dead birds; squirrels will also chew on vegetables and even take out if they find it. They will chow down on whatever is in your bin and they will even have munch away on bird seeds and pet food if it’s accessible.

While they eat just about anything and everything, not everything is good and nutritional for them. Sugary sweets and most processed human foods are terrible to their health causing heartworms, damaged teeth, tummy aches and deficiencies.

What do squirrels like to eat most?

Every animal has a favourite meal and squirrels are no exception. They are very fond of nuts such as peanuts, acorns, and other tree nuts. Aside from nuts they have a liking for crunchy and leafy vegetables like lettuce, kale, broccoli, cabbage, and celery. Even plants like fungi, buds and flowers and plant seeds are delicious to squirrels.

Conclusion

In conclusion, squirrels do eat other squirrels, this happens in high-stress situations like when there is a lack of food in the area or during pregnancy. Adult red squirrels also cannibalize younger red squirrel pups, even if food is available.

The regular meats that squirrels eat include meats of bugs, insects, eggs, carrion, and the occasional squirrel too. Other foods the squirrels also eating include nuts, plants, tree bark, eggs, insects, bird seeds, pet food and food from your trash.

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: My cat ate a squirrel, what you need to know, Do squirrels eat meat?, Are squirrels friendly?, Do squirrels eat bird eggs?