Can Squirrel Eat Almonds? Amazing Nutritional Facts
Squirrels love eating nuts, like walnuts, peanuts, hickory nuts, and hazelnuts. But what about almonds? Can Squirrels Eat Almonds? Well, it’s important to know that almonds are safe for squirrels to eat. Almonds are a type of nut that is full of healthy fats, protein, and fiber, which are all great for squirrels. However, it’s important to give squirrels only a small amount of almonds, as too many can hurt their little tummies. So, if you want to feed almonds to squirrels, remember to only give them a little bit as a treat![acf field=”Schema”]
What is Almonds?
Almonds among nuts are very famous and more nutritious for humans and also healthy for animals, especially rodents. People eat almonds in different shapes. Some take them roasted, and some take in sliced, many of them like in full shape, and some eat chopped almonds. Almonds are rich in protein which has many essential micronutrients in them. Proteins and these essential micronutrients are essential for rodents, especially for their muscle development and hair growth.
Almonds have a moderate amount of vitamin A, VITAMIN B complex and vitamin c. Vitamin A helps maintain their reproductive system and respiratory system .Whereas vitamin b complex and vitamin c help in healing and overall healthy growth.
Almonds are also rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which are required throughout their life for bone development. Also, calcium is essential for teeth that keep growing throughout squirrel life.
Although the squirrels are fond of almonds and can digest them, there is a question of how much they should feed so that they can easily digest and their stomach doesn’t get upset.
Almond’s Nutritional Chart:
| Nutrients | Quantity |
| Calories | 822 |
| Starch | 1.1 grams |
| Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 8.6 mg |
| Total Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 3.7 mg |
| Selenium | 3.3 mg |
| Calcium | 378 mg |
| Sodium | 1.4 mg |
| Potassium | 208 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.2 mg |
| Vitamin A | 1.4 IU |
| Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) | 37.5 |
| Choline | 74.5 mg |
| Betaine | 0.7 mg |
| Iron | 5.3 mg |
| Phosphorous | 692 mg |
| Copper | 1.4 mg |
| Water | 6.7 grams |
| Sugars | 5.6 grams |
Do squirrels eat almonds:
Squirrels love almonds. They are crazy about them. They have sharp incisors, so they can easily cut them and chew them. But here comes the question of how to feed them with almonds. In this article, we will learn how to feed them, what are the risks of having almonds in large quantities? What are the risk factors? In which shape should they take almonds?
How to feed squirrels almonds?
Feeding rodents is a big task. It is not very easy to feed them as you feed your pet. The reason is these critters are tiny and are very quick to escape as they see you approaching them ..so it might be tricky at first. You have to notice that where the squirrels are coming to forage their food, the squirrel coming to your yard is a tree squirrel or ground squirrel.
The squirrel is a ground squirrel if you saw the squirrel running on the ground and hiding behind the plant. Suppose the squirrel is climbing the tree, then it is a tree squirrel.
You can put the almonds in their feeder for the ground squirrel and place them on the ground where you think they forage for their food. When squirrels come, they will realize their food. They will hold them in their paw and run away.
For tree squirrel hanging feeders works well. Put some almonds in the feeder and hang them with a tree.
One thing should be kept in mind. It would help if you avoided feeding squirrels from the tree as they might have pesticides spray and may be harmful to their health. Try to buy them from the market.
Can baby squirrels eat almonds?
We might think that baby squirrels can eat and enjoy almonds, but we are wrong. They may lose their life just because of our minor mistake. Baby squirrels can’t be fed on solids for the first 6 to 8 weeks of their life. They should be fed on powder formula until they become old enough to take solids.
Can we fed squirrel with almonds in large quantity:
Almonds are very beneficial for health but taking in large quantities might be very harmful. As we all know, excess of everything is terrible whether it is healthy. Almonds have a high cyanide level, which is very toxic to squirrels and mammals if taken in a large amount. Cyanide poisoning causes respiratory distress, muscle twitching, red mucous membrane and sometimes quick death.
There are two types of almonds, sweet and bitter available in the market. Bitter almonds are known to have more cyanide compounds in them. So while feeding a squirrel, you must take sweet almonds. A few bitter almonds will kill the squirrel faster than a few sweet almonds. The recommended dose for nuts is 2 per day .You can give them vegetables and seeds to balance their diet. If the squirrel is eating almonds, first consider their age and quantity. If the squirrel is not showing any sign of disturbance, such as vomiting, breathing issue, tremors, or he is not choking, then you need not worry. If they are showing any of the above signs, you must consult a veterinarian. Overeating may cause them to upset their stomach, and they may not digest it well.
Shelled or unshelled almonds:
As we have discussed, almonds are love for squirrels, so they like both shelled and unshelled almonds. However, they should be given shelled nuts as the extraction of almonds helps in the sharpening of their teeth, but sometimes baby squirrels have to make more effort to extract nuts.
With chewing of shell nuts or hard things, when a squirrel chews, the teeth break down at a certain angle, making them sharp.
Can we fed squirrel with roasted almonds :
It is not heard that almonds are treated to some taste before feeding to a squirrel, or it will be a treat for squirrels if they make them spicy, salted or roasted. It is better to serve the squirrel with a raw form of almonds.
Roasting of almonds does not cause any harm to a squirrel, but while roasting, it may lose certain valuable minerals which are essential for health.
But if you want to feed squirrels with almonds, make sure they are not salted. Don’t add salt in them or any flavour as they don’t need any flavour in their food.
Can we fed squirrel with almonds Butter :
Almond Butter is made up of ground almonds .The almonds butter is rich in high calories and fat contents. Here you will think it is better to feed squirrels with almond butter or not. If you feed squirrels with almond butter, they will certainly pick it because they are very picky in food. However, feeding them with almond butter is not a good idea. Although almond butter is very pure and solely made of almonds, there are chances they get their stomach upset and have diarrhoea. On the other hand, the squirrel can gain more weight which is not healthy.
Almond butter is rich in calories. It has carbohydrates, dietary fibres, fats, zinc, saturated fat, unsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats.
For Extra Reading: Do Squirrels Eat Strawberries
Can we feed baby squirrels with almond milk?
Almond milk is made by processing almonds. It is rich in high calories and can cause many health issues .It has also artificial sweetener or sugar add that means it can cause obesity. High-quality cyanide can cause toxicity. So it is not recommended to give almond milk to the squirrel. And if we talk about the baby squirrel, it can only be fed by mother milk or formula milk.
Pros and Cons :
Everything has its benefits and dark sides .Feeding almonds to squirrels may be beneficial, and it has some side effects too. Let us talk in detail.
Pros:
- By feeding squirrels, you can attract more squirrels, and it will be fun watching them.
- Almonds are rich in proteins that have micronutrients essential for squirrel growth.
- Almonds have vitamin A which is essential for the respiratory system and reproductive system of a squirrel.
- It has vitamin c and vitamin b complex, which are essential for healing and regenerating cells
- Almonds are rich in minerals like calcium magnesium phosphorus, which are helpful in bones growth and teeth development.
Cons:
- Feeding squirrels with a large number of almonds causes many health issues.
- Almonds have a cyanide compound in them. A large quantity of cyanide is very harmful to health.
- Cyanide can cause bloating, respiratory distress, muscle twitching and sometimes quick death.
- Overeating almonds may cause indigestion and makes the stomach upset. Sometimes due to this, the squirrel has diarrhoea and vomiting.
- Eating almonds in large quantities can cause obesity in squirrels, and obesity leads to health issues.
- If almond is swollen directly, it can obstruct the oesophagus and intestine and risk life.
Conclusion :
Almonds are highly nutritious food for both humans and animals. They have such natural nutritional values through which both humans and animals get the benefit. But taking too many almonds is also not good for health. Almonds are a treat for the squirrel, but they should be fed in moderation and without added flavour. Almonds should be served in natural shape. Two almonds per day are enough for a squirrel.
FAQs :
Q1.Do squirrels like almonds?
Almonds are nuts next to the heart of squirrels. They are very nutritious and healthy for them.
Q2.Are almonds toxic to a squirrel?
Yes, almonds in excess amounts are harmful to squirrels because of their toxic compound cyanide.
Q3.Do almonds kill a squirrel?
No, almonds don’t kill squirrels .They are entirely safe and healthy for them.
Q4.Should squirrels be fed with roasted almonds?
It is sometimes harmful to give roasted almonds because it has salt added to them while roasting and loses its nutrition. It’s better to give them raw almonds. One thing should be kept in mind that almonds should be brought from the market instead of taking them from trees .Because trees might have pesticides spray and cause severe damage to squirrel life.
Q5.Should we give shelled or unshelled nuts to the squirrel?
The squirrel can have shelled and unshelled nuts, but it’s better to give them shelled nuts .Shelled nuts help in sharpening squirrel teeth. When a squirrel tries to unshell the almond, its teeth break at a certain angle, and it causes a sharpening of teeth.
Q6.When can you feed baby squirrels with almonds?
A baby squirrel cannot be fed with solid until it is eight weeks old. From its first day to 8 weeks, it should be fed on mother milk or powder milk.
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