All animals need water, including squirrels, but not all animals drink water in the same way. So, how do squirrels drink water?

Squirrels drink water by lowering their head to the water level and lapping it up like a dog or cat. If you’re feeling it from a bottle it will grip the bottle and drink it almost like a human. They will drink from any water source they can find.

Having access to regular clean drinking water is a must not only for humans but for wild animals as well, this includes squirrels. The water that squirrels and other wild animals drink isn’t always clean but they need to drink water regardless. So if you’re a squirrel lover, wildlife enthusiast or are simply curious as to how squirrels drink then this article is for you. 

How do squirrels drink?

These little animals drink in a similar way to how dogs and cats do. If given a bowl of water, or if they’re drinking from a body of water, they will lean in and lapp up the water with their tongues. Squirrels will position themselves very close to the water and their tongue won’t extend too far into the water.

If you give them water from a bottle they will grip the bottle (as best as they can) and drink from the opening of the water bottle. When they’re done they will disappear very thankful for the water. 

If squirrels live in urban areas and in human-populated areas they’ll drink from any water body available to them. These include bird feeders with water feeder attachments, birdbaths, water fountains, sprinklers and they will even lick the dew off the bottom of leaves if they have to.

Do squirrels drink water from a bowl?

Yes, squirrels will drink water from a bowl, in fact, feeding squirrels water from a bowl will help them because they won’t have to search for water to drink. When leaving water out remember not to leave the water in the bowl overnight. If you don’t empty out the bowl at night then raccoons can become drawn to it, nocturnal predators can also be drawn to your house in search of water.

Tip: If you’re feeding baby’s squirrels, place some rocks at the bottom of the bowl and fill the bowl up to the level of the rocks. This will help baby squirrels learn how to drink and prevent them from accidentally dunking their heads into the water

Tip: Leaving a bowl out in the open can expose squirrels to predators. To protect these small animals, leave the bowl under a tree so there is less of a chance that flying predators can see them.

What do squirrels like to drink?

Squirrels drink water but they also like to drink sugary drinks. In fact, squirrels really like drinking sugary drinks. In urban areas, squirrels will drink soft drinks, juices from discarded juice boxes and even alcohol. If you want to give squirrels a treat add a splash of juice to the water fountain that they’re drinking from. 

How often do squirrels drink water?

Squirrels need a lot of water, if you own a squirrel you should be giving them water two times a day, this is how often they drink water in the wild. In fact, they need to drink more water when the weather’s warmer, when it’s lactating and when it’s pregnant. They need to always have a clean source of water to drink from, this is essential. This animal can go about 5-8 days without food but cannot go a day without water and will drink water from almost any source.

Summary

I’m summary, squirrels will drink water by lowering their head to the water level and lapping it up like a dog or cat. If you’re feeling it from a bottle it will grip the bottle and drink it almost like a human.

They are happy to drink from a bowl and from other water sources like bird feeders with water feeder attachments, birdbaths, water fountains and sprinklers, they will also lick the dew off of the bottom of leaves if they have to. They need to drink water twice a day to survive. 

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 do squirrels run in front of cars, why do squirrels run across the road, how do squirrels show affection, why do squirrels tease dogs,  how do squirrels move so fast,