Squirrels are adorable creatures that we see around neighborhoods and parks - but what do we know about them?
Squirrels are a type of rodent that we normally observe running around our neighbourhood or parks. This is because they prefer to live in trees and eat up the vegetation in the region. When you think about what squirrels eat the first answer that usually comes into your mind are nuts.
While this is a safe and correct answer it is not the only kind of food that they consume. In fact there are distinct times in the year when they do not have admission to these and must search for other items.
Squirrels cannot digest any type of food that is made up of cellulose. They have to stick to foods with large amounts of protein, fat, and carbs so that they remain full and healthy. When they live in temperate areas during the spring they do not have access to nuts because they are entombed deep within the ground.
Instead they will eat up the buds on the trees. Still, around the summer and fall months they can consume nuts, fruits, seeds, conifer cones, fungi, and green vegetation. Very few types of squirrels can really eat meat. This meat comes from from smaller rodents, insects, baby snakes, small birds, and eggs.
The bulk of these are diurnal. This implies that they sleep during the night and are most awake during the daylight hours. One of the few types of squirrels is nocturnal and this is the popular flying squirrel. Opposite to popular belief this squirrel cannot fly - but uses its long muscles to jump and coast far distances.
