complete proteins

[niapet]

Hey everyone,

I have read a lot about squirrel nutrition and I am pretty sure Imp is eating a very healthy diet, at least as far as mbd goes. He loves hazel nuts with almonds being his second choice main food. Both of these nuts are very high in calcium and the hazel nuts have a lot of iron that the almonds lack. In addition to this he loves to munch on mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes and a myriad of other veggies so I'm pretty sure his diet is healthy.

The thing is that hazel nuts by far provide his main source of calories. He has been on this diet for years and there have never been any problems. The thing I was wondering about is if anyone knows what amino acids squirrels need to get from their foods. We know their are 9 that Humans must get from their diet. Has there been any research in this direction with squirrels? I just want to be sure he is getting all of his essential amino acids since the nuts are his main source of protein.

[SammysMom]

Oh boy...he needs rodent block. Nuts are not a good basis for squirrel nutrition. Check out the nutrition forum for more info.

[stepnstone]

Hey everyone,
I have read a lot about squirrel nutrition and I am pretty sure Imp is eating a very healthy diet, at least as far as mbd goes. He loves hazel nuts with almonds being his second choice main food. Both of these nuts are very high in calcium and the hazel nuts have a lot of iron that the almonds lack. In addition to this he loves to munch on mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes and a myriad of other veggies so I'm pretty sure his diet is healthy.

The thing is that hazel nuts by far provide his main source of calories. He has been on this diet for years and there have never been any problems. The thing I was wondering about is if anyone knows what amino acids squirrels need to get from their foods. We know their are 9 that Humans must get from their diet. Has there been any research in this direction with squirrels? I just want to be sure he is getting all of his essential amino acids since the nuts are his main source of protein.

:sanp3 That's scarey!!


Oh boy...he needs rodent block. Nuts are not a good basis for squirrel nutrition. Check out the nutrition forum for more info.

Second that!!

[Jackie in Tampa]

the problem with nuts is...
they are way too high in phosporus...
phos does not allow absorption of calcium....'UGH!
so even though they are high in cal...not ideal food...
recommebnded two nuts a day only!
Your veggies sound excellant, probably why he is not showing MBD symptoms yet.
how old is IMp again Nia?
Most cases of MBD in captive sqs does not show until third year in a decent dieted sq that has never had a supplimental block...
4Skwerlz, Our Nutrition guru can be contacted at this link!
http://henryspets.com/

There are mega threads on this...
I love that IMP is getting shrooms...D is very valuable in the process of metabolising calcium also...
you are on the right mind set...please research so you will have IMP a long healkthy time!:Love_Icon

[niapet]

Yes I have heard this rhetoric over and over... frankly its non-sense. Squirrels in the wild don't eat rodent blocks.. around here they eat almost exclusively acorns(which happen to be quite high in phosphorus).. which are nuts. Imp has been eating this way his whole life and it perfectly healthy. Hazel nuts are in fact a staple for squirrels in England where they are quite common.

I can't help but wonder if people are having their squirrels fixed? Imp has all his parts and this may be why he is healthy as a button. When you remove the sexual organs of a mammal they don't process calcium properly. This is why women get osteoporosis after menapuse and men don't. Is it common practice for squirrel parents to neuter/spay their squirrels?

I would agree a squirrel should be on a special diet if they are ill or have been fixed. Also its probably not a good idea to feed them nuts that thye would not consume in the wild often. But when it comes to the foods they would be eating normally in the wild I feel it is cruel to deprive them of the foods they would choose to eat in the wild. I cant stand how people feed their dogs and cats food they would never eat.

P.S. Imp is over 3 years old and really very healthy. I should mention that Imp has a rather strong personality. He WILL NOT eat rodent blocks. We tried to feed them to him in the beginning and he actually refused to eat instead of eating them, I mean he was loosing weight and wouldn't eat until we started feeding him normal foods. I can see it being dangerous to feed a squirrel only nuts but he eats tons of other things in addition to them and is really healthy.

[niapet]

Okay i just did a little research and I'm thinking what may be the issue is some nuts and grains are very high in phosphorus and others are not. Hazel nuts are not one of them that is really high. Brazil Nuts, Buckwheat, Cashews, Pine Nuts/Pignolias, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, and Wheat are very high in phosphorus.

Perhaps people are feeding these nuts to squirrels and all nuts have gotten a bad rap since this nuts are not a staple in most squirrel's diets?

Another thing that concerns me is phosphorus is an important mineral that mammals NEED and is actually important for bone formation. Perhaps all this phosphorus restricting is not in the squirrels best interest? Can someone point me to an actual study published in a scientific journal that supports this phosphorus is bad theory? I am hesitant to make modifications to Imps diet based on an internet forum. There WAY WAY more disinformation on the internet than real information.

[Jackie in Tampa]

do not base your research on sqs...
phosphorus is needed...but not to the degree it is in nuts...
read on phosphorus and calcium metabolism in humans...
there ain't diddley on sqs...
forget that!

Hey, if you feel safe...awesome!
We are pretty thorough forum though!
Major research is done here daily amongst members...
we are not pet collectors for the most part...we are caring loving rehabbers...
I for one, want healthy sqs...I have several NRs!
Nutrition is a biggie in my life..
I need to sleep well!

Glad you are on it!:thumbsup :bowdown

[astra]

this is not rhetoric.
This is knowledge accumulated through decades and decades of rehab experience by wildlife centers and individual rehab. It's been proven and proven over and over again: squirrels in rehab/captivity need rodent block or it's equivalent; diet based on nuts is not a healthful diet.

As for squirrels not eating rodent block in the wild - yes, they do not need any blocks in the wild because they have a huge assortment of wild foods.
There is no way possible for any human to replicate the wild food assortment in captivity!
There is no way to replicate all the dirt, all the microorganisms in the dirt that they eat, all the worms, insects, buds, roots, plants, grass, tree bark and its components and so on and so forth etc etc etc.
They do not base their diet in hazelnuts, or almonds, or any nuts for that matter - that's for sure. All it takes is some common sense to realize that - nuts are not available all year round and in all locations where squirrels live.

Extensive rehab experience by wildlife professionals and licensed rehabbers proves: squirrels in captivity need rodent block or its equivalent. Any diet without that is insufficient and will lead to problems sooner or later.
So far, there has not been one single case on this board (and other boards for that matter) that proved an exception.
Those , who chose not to follow it, ended up hurting their squirrels, often irrevocably.
This is not to scare anyone, this is the truth, facts.

As for the abundance of info on the internet - yes, internet, just any site can have all kinds of stuff. The difference is that this board is not just any site.
This is a site supported by hundred of experienced rehabbers and life situations with squirrels who were fed improper diet (and the difference in the lives of those squirrels, who were fed the right diet).

Sorry, got to run, but i am sure, others will share their thoughts:grouphug:peace

[Jackie in Tampa]

this is not rhetoric.
This is knowledge accumulated through decades and decades of rehab experience by wildlife centers and individual rehab. It's been proven and proven over and over again: squirrels in rehab/captivity need rodent block or it's equivalent; diet based on nuts is not a healthful diet.

As for squirrels not eating rodent block in the wild - yes, they do not need any blocks in the wild because they have a huge assortment of wild foods.
There is no way possible for any human to replicate the wild food assortment in captivity!
There is no way to replicate all the dirt, all the microorganisms in the dirt that they eat, all the worms, insects, buds, roots, plants, grass, tree bark and its components and so on and so forth etc etc etc.
They do not base their diet in hazelnuts, or almonds, or any nuts for that matter - that's for sure. All it takes is some common sense to realize that - nuts are not available all year round and in all locations where squirrels live.

Extensive rehab experience by wildlife professionals and licensed rehabbers proves: squirrels in captivity need rodent block or its equivalent. Any diet without that is insufficient and will lead to problems sooner or later.
So far, there has not been one single case on this board (and other boards for that matter) that proved an exception.
Those , who chose not to follow it, ended up hurting their squirrels, often irrevocably.
This is not to scare anyone, this is the truth, facts.

As for the abundance of info on the internet - yes, internet, just any site can have all kinds of stuff. The difference is that this board is not just any site.
This is a site supported by hundred of experienced rehabbers and life situations with squirrels who were fed improper diet (and the difference in the lives of those squirrels, who were fed the right diet).

Sorry, got to run, but i am sure, others will share their thoughts:grouphug:peacethanks for doing all the typing....love you Astra!!!!:wave123

[niapet]

There is no way possible for any human to replicate the wild food assortment in captivity!
There is no way to replicate all the dirt, all the microorganisms in the dirt that they eat, all the worms, insects, buds, roots, plants, grass, tree bark and its components and so on and so forth etc etc etc.

I don't agree with you here. Imp eats ALL of those things. I bring him branches to chew on from all kinds of trees and he actually enjoys the bark, Lexi and I have commented on how he eats it. I don't bother to clean the acorns and other wild foods I bring him so he gets plenty of dirt... Lol he does have a habit of eating bugs that cross his path so he gets that as well.. Once he had a stomachache and was vomiting.. we found out he got into the nicotine vial my mother had with her on her visit (she uses those e-cigarettes) We were terrified he was going to die.. So I got him some grass to eat since this is what dogs seem to do when they have stomach/poisoning issue and he ate it all up fast! Lucky he survived.. (That was scary) so now I bring in grass for him to eat since he seems to enjoy it.

He also loves to help himself to anything we are eating (we are vegetarians so we eat a lot of the same foods as Imp). So I can assure you he gets a diet very close to what he would outdoors.



They do not base their diet in hazelnuts, or almonds, or any nuts for that matter - that's for sure. All it takes is some common sense to realize that - nuts are not available all year round and in all locations where squirrels live.

And as far as claiming that nuts are not the main source of wild squirrels food.. The squirrels around here have acorns ALL year long. There are so many of them that there are still acorns on the ground from last year when the new crops fall... with all those acorns available it would be silly to think the squirrels weren't eating them as their main source of nutrition (I am sure they eat other things too but that is clearly their staple)

Extensive rehab experience by wildlife professionals and licensed rehabbers[sic] proves: squirrels in captivity need rodent block or its equivalent. Any diet without that is insufficient and will lead to problems sooner or later.
So far, there has not been one single case on this board (and other boards for that matter) that proved an exception.
Those , who chose not to follow it, ended up hurting their squirrels, often irrevocably.

You may have to amend that to (only one case) because imp is over three years old (coming up on 4) and still very healthy. Too be fair, as I pointed out, we give him a lot of things most people don't and probably wouldn't even be willing to bring into their house. Just as with humans the key to a health is a balanced diet. Of course if you feed the little guy ONLY nuts he will get sick. However if you combine that with the myriad of foods we give Imp they will be quite healthy. I admit it can be a pin to get all this stuff for the little guy and it would be far easier, and cheaper, to just give him rodent blocks. However I don't think that is fair to him. How would you like to eat the same bland meal every day for the rest of your life? I think it is worth the effort to get the them what they would eat in the wild to make their lives more enjoyable.

All in all Hazel nuts are probably THE best nuts to feed a squirrel. They are very close to phosphorus neutral (1.4:1) As long as the squirrel is getting more calcium from other foods (enough to bring the ratio to 1:1) he should be fine. Speaking of which Imp likes to lick the cheese powder off of cheesy puffs and other cheesy snacks. Is this ok? Its a great source of calcium and very low in phosphorus (0.65:1) Probably the best out there. We only buy organic snacks so its all real organic cheese. He doesn't get sick so he may be able to tolerate the small amount of lactose. It struck me as odd that he should like it but then I thought humans do.. so do dogs and cats..

[niapet]

I have also read that you should not feed squirrels legumes. Why is this? From the research I have read the Ca:P ratio of legumes can be as high as 6:1. This means they are really good for squirrels no?

Edit scratch that... It looks like the ratio is reversed

[Jackie in Tampa]

I bring the forrest inside often..as many here do...
I dig up worms from the wood pile etc..
acorns are not considered tree nuts..IMO...
most people here do bring in acorns and all the native naturals...we also have many vegetarian members...
Feeding sqs junk food is taking the belly space that should be good food...
hey, it sounds like you know what you are doing!:thumbsup

No one said you are NOT DOING RIGHT...
we are simply giving advise as long time sq peeps would and should!
Sharing is caring!

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32218
I promise, this is the last thing I will share! But it's the best thing I can share!
good luck
hugs to IMp!

[niapet]

Ok imp eats a LOT of lettuce. I mean we eat salad every day here and Imp LOVES lettuce. Now I see that lettuce has twice the calcium as it does phosphorus. This combined with the relatively low Ca:P ratio of Hazel nuts (for nuts that is) is probably why he is so healthy. Any thoughts?

He also loves Blueberries, Apples, and Parsley leaf which seem to have a low Ca:P ratio.

acorns are not considered tree nuts..IMO...

Yeah but they are =P (Acorn Ca:P ratio = 1:2)

[niapet]

I should point out to people that squirrels should only avoid "people food" if the "people" in question are eating poorly. Any "people food" squirrels should avoid, we should avoid as well!

[Jackie in Tampa]

corn is a heavy and most people always over do it...
sq love it too much!

I agree with romaine greenleaf etc...all good! everyday I give some variety of lettuce!
I do feed blueberries too...
we are supposed to be light with spinach and blueberries due to the oxalates...
mine love both about twice a month...:thumbsup
I have had bad isusues with Raw chestnuts AND EGGPLANT, I DO NOT FEED ANYMORE AND ADVISE THE SAME. sorry caps

Have you tried HHBs?
It's hard to get sqs to eat them at first, but removing nuts for a short time helps...they are made with nuts as enhancers.

I feed one HHb each day each sq...but I also give FV to all everyday also...
my sqs are bowl lappers...some have been drinking formula for years!
My sqs will not eat rodent blocks after the age of teething...never have, they pee on them.:shakehead :D
To my understanding, commercial blocks are good but you have to feed several each day to maintain the proper balance.
I prefer something more condensed so their bellies have room for veggies too!
try'em!
I recommend them 100%... I have raised NRs and rehabs on them with beautiful results..
I work with vets each week and they agree, I have wonderfully healthy NRs, can't ask for much more than That!:Love_Icon

pics please!:poke

[niapet]

I assumed blueberries would be as good for Imp as they are for us. He only gets them in season anyway though. What about black cherries. They are by FAR his favorite fruit. We never fed him too much corn, he gets a couple kernels with breakfast, is that too much? He will only eat frozen corn, doesn't like it once it gets worm or if its fresh, imagine that!

[niapet]

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374080845_1720634963_113006_3648459_a.jp g

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374120846_1720634963_113007_8352659_n.jp g

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374200848_1720634963_113009_5653493_n.jp g

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374240849_1720634963_113010_7713588_n.jp g

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374440854_1720634963_113011_5689538_n.jp g

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374560857_1720634963_113014_6143246_n.jp g

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374600858_1720634963_113015_6875567_n.jp g

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374840864_1720634963_113018_94409_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/15535_1055374080845_1720634963_113006_3648459_n.jp g

[niapet]

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/392311_10150399806554059_708389058_8309032_1966780 845_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/314672_10150399806649059_708389058_8309034_1754960 749_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/391818_10150399806839059_708389058_8309037_1684342 36_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/320765_10150399806909059_708389058_8309038_2105231 201_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/312946_10150399806979059_708389058_8309039_6964865 36_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/385780_10150399807294059_708389058_8309045_1931427 518_n.jpg

[niapet]

You can see from some of these pics what we put up with.. He has damaged our house a LOT but he is my child.. I love him as much as my daughter Amber and we just keep repairing the damage he does.

P.S. The damage in those pictures has since been repaired. I have become quite handy at house repair!

P.P.S Just so you all know that Popsicle he was sampling is an organic lemon pop, its healthy =P. Imp LOVES frozen foods. He even prefers some things, like corn, frozen.

[astra]

There is no way possible for any human to replicate the wild food assortment in captivity!
There is no way to replicate all the dirt, all the microorganisms in the dirt that they eat, all the worms, insects, buds, roots, plants, grass, tree bark and its components and so on and so forth etc etc etc.

I don't agree with you here. Imp eats ALL of those things. I bring him branches to chew on from all kinds of trees and he actually enjoys the bark, Lexi and I have commented on how he eats it. I don't bother to clean the acorns and other wild foods I bring him so he gets plenty of dirt... Lol he does have a habit of eating bugs that cross his path so he gets that as well.. Once he had a stomachache and was vomiting.. we found out he got into the nicotine vial my mother had with her on her visit (she uses those e-cigarettes) We were terrified he was going to die.. So I got him some grass to eat since this is what dogs seem to do when they have stomach/poisoning issue and he ate it all up fast! Lucky he survived.. (That was scary) so now I bring in grass for him to eat since he seems to enjoy it.
no matter what you bring him from the outside, we don't know the ratios of what they eat. Branches and whatever dirt is stuck to an acorn is not enough.
If you observe your wilds, they are foraging pretty much all day long, not just a branch or two or some acorns.
Again, we cannot know ALL bugs that they eat, ALL things in a live tree bark (not a broken "dead" bark), ALL kinds of dirt (there are different levels of soil "botanically" and each level has its own set of microorganisms), not just superficial dirt that gets stuck on branches and acorns that sat on the ground.
So, now matter how many branches, acorns and what not you bring from the outside, no human can replicate the wild diet. At least, because even scientific community does not have a conclusive knowledge of what exactly and in what amounts squirrels eat in the wild daily and seasonally.


He also loves to help himself to anything we are eating (we are vegetarians so we eat a lot of the same foods as Imp). So I can assure you he gets a diet very close to what he would outdoors.
first of, squirrels are not vegetarians.
Second of, as i've written before, not matter how close you can get to the outside diet, it's almost impossible to replicate it to the degree that will ensure him being MBD-free (for the reasons above - not to repeat myself ;))




They do not base their diet in hazelnuts, or almonds, or any nuts for that matter - that's for sure. All it takes is some common sense to realize that - nuts are not available all year round and in all locations where squirrels live.

And as far as claiming that nuts are not the main source of wild squirrels food.. The squirrels around here have acorns ALL year long. There are so many of them that there are still acorns on the ground from last year when the new crops fall... with all those acorns available it would be silly to think the squirrels weren't eating them as their main source of nutrition (I am sure they eat other things too but that is clearly their staple)
Cannot agree with that. Squirrels cannot possibly have acorns all year round. They do have them some part of the year, but not all year around, at least because acorns have their own cycle of development, so to say ;).
Yes, squirrels stash away a lot and all that, BUT again - we have no way of knowing just how many acorns they end up eating per year.
And it is not silly to think that squirrels do not eat them as the main source of nutrition, because again, a lot of squirrels live in areas that are completely void of acorns. I lived in a neighborhood that had no oak trees. Not one. The squirrels were the same eastern grey squirrels, with the same nutritional requirements like a generic eastern grey squirrel.





Extensive rehab experience by wildlife professionals and licensed rehabbers[sic] proves: squirrels in captivity need rodent block or its equivalent. Any diet without that is insufficient and will lead to problems sooner or later.
So far, there has not been one single case on this board (and other boards for that matter) that proved an exception.
Those , who chose not to follow it, ended up hurting their squirrels, often irrevocably.

You may have to amend that to (only one case) because imp is over three years old (coming up on 4) and still very healthy.

E.g., a rough example: a group of people eats hot and spicy, vinegar based food regularly for years. Some of them will end up with gastritis or stomach ulcer in a couple of years; but it might take more years for others to develop GI issues. But they will all end up with GI issues sooner or later.

Same with squirrels: some of them end up with MBD and other consequences of poor nutrition in a year, others hold up longer. But without adequate nutrition sooner or later the result will be the same.

There have been people who came here with 5-year old squirrels, fed the wrong diet, based on nuts and no rodent block or its equivalent, with MBD. THey were seemingly doing ok for 4-5 years, until it finally struck.





Too be fair, as I pointed out, we give him a lot of things most people don't and probably wouldn't even be willing to bring into their house. Just as with humans the key to a health is a balanced diet. Of course if you feed the little guy ONLY nuts he will get sick. However if you combine that with the myriad of foods we give Imp they will be quite healthy. I admit it can be a pin to get all this stuff for the little guy and it would be far easier, and cheaper, to just give him rodent blocks. However I don't think that is fair to him. How would you like to eat the same bland meal every day for the rest of your life? I think it is worth the effort to get the them what they would eat in the wild to make their lives more enjoyable.

By the way, no one claims here that you need to give him "just rodent blocks".
Perhaps, it would be helpful to browse Squirrel Nutrition forum: it states clearly that the diet needs to have a great variety, with daily rodent block, including an assortment of veggies. No one here advocates "just the rodent block".
So, it's not just the block. It's block + a good variety ;)


All in all Hazel nuts are probably THE best nuts to feed a squirrel. They are very close to phosphorus neutral (1.4:1) As long as the squirrel is getting more calcium from other foods (enough to bring the ratio to 1:1) he should be fine. Speaking of which Imp likes to lick the cheese powder off of cheesy puffs and other cheesy snacks. Is this ok? Its a great source of calcium and very low in phosphorus (0.65:1) Probably the best out there. We only buy organic snacks so its all real organic cheese. He doesn't get sick so he may be able to tolerate the small amount of lactose. It struck me as odd that he should like it but then I thought humans do.. so do dogs and cats..
Hazelnuts are some of the best nuts, indeed.
but as far as I remember, the ratio of 1:1 is not the right ratio for cal:P. I believe, it should be 2:1.
It is also important to remember about the rate of absorption. Depending on the source, calcium absorption greatly varies.

Again, as Jackie said, you are doing a great job providing such a variety and caring enough to research nutrition for your baby. It's great!:thumbsup

It's just that squirrels do need a rodent block, or its equivalent, to ensure freedom from MBD.
So far, personally, I have not seen one squirrel on a rodent block that has come down with MBD, but so far, all those squirrels who came here looking for help with MBD were the ones whose diet lacked rodent block.
We could keep discussing this topic, but... I just can't dismiss that fact - each and every squirrel who came down with MBD did not have a rodent block as part of their daily food intake.

Of course, if your little one could prove to be an exception that will be great.
Again, personally, just feel concerned, having come across so many MBD squirrels.

And thanks for sharing photos - HE IS SO-O-O PRECIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! The double-paw tuck and him picking from above (a cabinet?) - :flash3 :thumbsup
In that open-mouth photo: was he yawning or scolding someone?;)

SORRY, I didn't realize how long this post came out to be.:hidechair

[astra]

You can see from some of these pics what we put up with.. He has damaged our house a LOT but he is my child.. I love him as much as my daughter Amber and we just keep repairing the damage he does.isn't that true:) :grouphug


P.S. The damage in those pictures has since been repaired. I have become quite handy at house repair!:D


Imp LOVES frozen foods.yes, it's interesting, but a lot of squirrels seem to like frozen food. Some of them would eat frozen broccoli, but reject fresh one... funny creatures:)

[niapet]

He was peeking out from behind a window shade. He does that now and then. He plays hide ans seek and tries to get us to chase him from one side while he pops out on the other.

[niapet]

yes, it's interesting, but a lot of squirrels seem to like frozen food. Some of them would eat frozen broccoli, but reject fresh one... funny creatures:)


I have often wondered if this has something to do with the fact that they like to store stuff for the winter. I imagine a lot of wild squirrels end up with frozen foods during the winter to eat.

[jo_schmoe]

yes, it's interesting, but a lot of squirrels seem to like frozen food. Some of them would eat frozen broccoli, but reject fresh one... funny creatures:)


I have often wondered if this has something to do with the fact that they like to store stuff for the winter. I imagine a lot of wild squirrels end up with frozen foods during the winter to eat.

I live in a very cold climate...and my over winter guys LOVE frozen anything. I used to think it was because in the wild.....their food was frozen ( of course)...but after some observation and a few experiments...I've found that in fact it not so much the case when you are talking about frozen vegetables. I think the reason the indoor squirrels love their veggies frozen in the winter is because of the water content. Think about how dry it gets in severe cold climates such as mine. Try giving them frozen anything in the summer and they wont touch it! Try giving a wild here frozen veggies in the winter and they will look at you like its poison. I don't think there is much "vegetation" stored in middens in the winter....from what I've seen...its mostly dirt and tree nuts or pinecones....a few branches mixed in.

[niapet]

I live in a very cold climate...and my over winter guys LOVE frozen anything. I used to think it was because in the wild.....their food was frozen ( of course)...but after some observation and a few experiments...I've found that in fact it not so much the case when you are talking about frozen vegetables. I think the reason the indoor squirrels love their veggies frozen in the winter is because of the water content. Think about how dry it gets in severe cold climates such as mine. Try giving them frozen anything in the summer and they wont touch it! Try giving a wild here frozen veggies in the winter and they will look at you like its poison. I don't think there is much "vegetation" stored in middens in the winter....from what I've seen...its mostly dirt and tree nuts or pinecones....a few branches mixed in.

That makes sense. I noticed this morning, when the sun was shining brightly on imp, and I was petting him, that he had some dandruff flakes. It never occurred to me that Imp might have dry skin, since his coat is so silky. We have electric heat and I suppose this just points out how ridiculously dry it gets here in the winter months.