Too Much of a Good Thing?

[Prolix]

My friend is feeding her wild squirrels peanuts - a lot of peanuts in my estimation - and I would like to hear some opinions on whether she is doing them more harm than good. These are not raw peanuts, they are unsalted roasted in the shell. She puts out about 1 lb of peanuts a day - so the typical 3 lb bag from the supermarket lasts 2 or 3 days. She has about a dozen squirrels that eat this amount. After 6 months of this, the squirrels have noticeably put on weight - when she came over to my house she commented that my squirrels look slender compared to hers - which they do - and I think that is how they are supposed to look. I'm concerned that her squirrels are eating so many peanuts that they don't end up eating much wild food and are not getting a balanced diet. What could be the drawback to a diet high in peanuts for wild squirrels? I want to have a talk with her about cutting back on the peanuts, but I know she will be resistant to the idea if I don't have some facts to back it up.

Thanks for your input.

[Rhapsody]

Have you tired giving her the link to "THE SQUIRREL BOARD?

[Prolix]

She doesn't own a computer, unfortunately, but I can print something out if you know a page that has information about this. I did a google search using phrases like "feeding squirrels peanuts" and "are peanuts bad for squirrels" and didn't find anything definitive.

Thanks.

[Rhapsody]

Here is a page that shows the best nutritional diet for a squirrel - do keep in mind that peanuts are listed on the page, but more as a treat than as a staple food.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16093

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I feed wild squirrels peanuts (in the shell roasted unsalted) all the time. My feeling is that it is just a small part of their diet so it is just fine. Squirrels naturally plump up in the winter, I'd watch in the spring to see if they slim down. If they stay really fat even in the spring and summer then she is feeding too many peanuts.