What Do Flying Squirrels Eat? Comparison With Other Squirrel
There is a very interesting thing you may come across today if you do not know much about the “Flying Squirrels”. These little creatures are very cute but as the name says; “flying” cannot fly that way. Rather they can glide from one place to another.[acf field=”Schema”]
They are very active creatures, just like many other rodents and small animals they do not stay in one place and rather move from one place to another, from one branch to another.
Let us today know more about them just scroll down and get to know so many interesting facts and information regarding these tiny cute creatures.
What Do Flying Squirrels Eat?
Flying squirrels can eat almost anything like nuts, fruits, vegetables, and insects. They don’t complain much about what they eat and just eat what they get. They might also eat things not good for their health.
This includes bad fruits, some candy someone has dropped, or even some vegetables. Their bellies can hold a lot of food meaning that they eat a lot.
The flying squirrels eat limitlessly and because of this they can adapt their bodies to any kind of food and they are pretty good at it too.
Keep reading if you want some more amazing facts about flying squirrels..!!
There are two types of flying squirrels. One is a northern flying squirrel and the other is a southern flying squirrel. These are the two Native American squirrels found in North America. You can most commonly differentiate between them through their sizes and their fur color.
They don’t really fly like the birds instead they glide. This is one of the reasons why it is sometimes called a “GLIDING SQUIRRELS”. They have very small legs and to walk along distances it would have to walk a lot.
For this nature has equipped this creature with a stretchy membrane that extends when they extend their arms. When this happens, this can cause the squirrels to glide from one tree to another. Flying squirrels can glide up to 150 feet one time. They use their legs to steer and use their tail as brakes.
Moreover, like many other animals up there in the forests and woods the squirrels also make their places and nests in the tree holes, nest boxes, and even in snags, etc. Another interesting thing about them is that many of the squirrels live together when there is cold.
They are really good at escaping so they go wherever they want. But if in case they couldn’t make themselves glide then at some critical conditions they might be hunted by wild animals and big birds in the forests.
Squirrel’s Diet:
Many of the flying squirrels are omnivores in nature. They usually eat almost everything they get which includes different food varieties in it such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even fungi and some tiny insects.
But you know what?
All of the flying squirrels around the world tend to consume different quality food according to the place they live in and the weather conditions they are facing.
So, particularly the southern flying squirrels are mostly carnivores. They eat and consume more organic food such as eggs, carrots, or maybe some birds after hunting.
Food For Flying Squirrels:
There are some of the surprising foods for the flying squirrels let’s see what they are…
Cheese:
Squirrels are the dying heart fan of food. They just live for eating. If you want them to be healthy and fit then it is important to know about the nutrients the food has which you are feeding them.
Let’s talk about cheese!
Those squirrels who wanted to boost up the fat in their bodies usually love eating cheese. Even though they do not know how it is for their health, they just go and eat it.
Moreover, they have never considered the type of cheese they are eating and can even eat the remaining or the leftover cheese and the pizza leftovers.
Interestingly, cheese is quite good in its nutrients. It is a protein-rich food item. You should try giving them the cheese crackers or the other things with cheese they will surely love eating them anytime.
You will see them eating cheese grilled sandwiches which are their most favorite just because of the cheese inside them.
If you are keeping them pets then probably they would not get the chance to go and have food from their natural habitat. They will then eat anything they get from you.
Vegetables:
Vegetables are somehow the main part of flying squirrels’ diet. They love eating vegetables especially green and fresh leafy vegetables are their most favorite. And can eat so many things out of which vegetables hold great importance for them.
Probably they will love to have lettuce and kale, and many other green leaves. Squirrels are the kind of creatures that will eat anything you can probably name.
Moreover, other vegetables such as tomatoes, okra, and cabbage are also their favorite food.
But what do they don’t eat in vegetables? Let’s see…
Though they love eating vegetables still there are some of them which flying squirrels will never go. Some of those vegetables are; raw onions, pepper, jalapeno, and also raw garlic. These are their least favorite vegetables.
Interestingly, many farmers use pepper sprays as squirrel repellents which works very efficiently.
Eggs:
These creatures do not eat a lot of eggs of birds. But sometimes like to eat eggs of wild birds like Robin or crows.
They can also eat or steal chicken eggs so beware to keep your chickens safe from them. They can keep them full and fat in the winter and they get a lot of proteins too.
Pet food:
They don’t much eat your dog or cat’s kibble. They only take a dozen to eat and come back later for more.
And it is not good for them to eat so you better keep that away from the naughty flying squirrels.
Some Interesting Facts About The Squirrels:
We, humans, have made a special suit and for a long time, it is that skydivers and base jumpers have used it. These suits copy or replicate the membrane and stretch to make people glide.
Actually, the air starts to push in the suit and then it slows down their fall from the sky and allows them to glide.
This species of rodent has gone through evolution to survive from the dangers of the forest. Besides gliding, they can do many other amazing things.
Squirrels are born to gnaw:
Just like all the other rodents, the flying squirrels need to chew on something to grind their teeth. As they have continued teeth growth their teeth can get too big so they need to grind them.
They can chew almost anything without worrying about their tooth breaking because of the continuous growth in them.
The efficient squirrels:
One thing that tells us that flying squirrels are really intelligent is that they make a hole in the nut. Rather than cracking the shell open like normal squirrels. They make a small hole in the nut and take out all the food from the hole and eat it.
They use the more unique and easy way to do this. For other squirrels have to crack open the shell of the nut which is quite hard…
Flying squirrels don’t make their own nests but use uninhabited nests or tree hollows. This is not because they are lazy but because it is easier. Many flying squirrels have made their homes out of deserted tree hollows.
They have a good way to avoid daytime active predators. They don’t glide during day time but do this at night to avoid these predators. But still, they are not safe from the predators like owl and other night time predators.
They can glide at night due to their large glowing. Eyes that look like fireflies in the night so some predators get fooled.
They need good care:
You need to take good care of your flying squirrels. If you want you can start by feeding it a mixture of nuts, vegetables, fruits, and insects.
But, make sure that you have added some calcium supplements to it to maintain its health.
You should take it to a vet for a checkup every one to two weeks. Try to keep it in a large cage with soft things for its nest. Plenty of space for it to fly and play in the cage is recommended.
Reproduction:
When the young squirrels are soon to be born the mama squirrels use a hollow tree for their nest and collect soft things for its nest. When the young are born they are blind and without hair.
They get to explore the outside world in about two to three months and they get independent and can do things on their own. We can say that they’re all grown up.
What is good for them to eat?
These creatures spend more than a half-day collecting food for winter. The species like Reds and Greys mostly eat seeds and get a lot more energetic than other species.
They go collecting food in several shifts and the red are mostly more than greys. They like to eat berries and apples and other fruits.
The flying squirrels mostly like pine seeds, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, fungus, spruce, and pollen, shoots, bulbs, acorns, berries, flowers, bark, and sap tissue.
The Grey squirrels are better at extracting the minerals and proteins from the nut than the Red flying squirrels. The grey squirrels can eat nuts like acorns and oak and are also better than extracting proteins from the seeds.
Comparison Between The Diet of Squirrels & Other Rodents:
All over the world, there are so many species of rodents from which squirrels are also one of them. Not all of them are omnivores but still, some of them are. For example, groundhogs are herbivores.
Many of them feed on the food they get from the plants and ground vegetation and the time they do not get anything to eat as in winters they use to hibernate.
Red squirrels:
Many red squirrels are omnivores. They like to eat the meat of small animals, insects, and any kind of meat they get to eat. They have been seen eating small rabbits as well.
Other than this, they like to eat pine cones and the seed inside them. And interestingly, they store green pine cones for later use.
Moreover, you will find them drinking the tree sap. They bite the tree and love to drink the sap coming out of it.
Chipmunks:
Chipmunks are also the rodents like many other ones. They are known for eating nuts and filling their cheeks with them. But interestingly they can eat meat as well they are omnivores too.
They eat baby mice or other small animals, moreover, they eat worms. But the interesting thing is that they do not hunt for themselves even they eat leftover hunted food by others.
Flying squirrels:
Flying squirrels are a very special species. They are said to be herbivores, carnivores, and even omnivores at the same time. They can eat vegetables, eggs, meat, and many other things they probably get.
Ground squirrels:
The diet of the ground squirrels mainly includes some fruits, nuts, insects, and small animals. They even get food from gardens and farms. They go for anything they get from the farms such as fruits and vegetables.
But importantly they also hibernate in winters like many other rodents.
Conclusion:
So, most likely present you’ll be well mindful of all the basic data you wish to know about the squirrels whereas taking care of them.
You got to know great things simply to watch out for the little and modest animals which live and survive around you.
Whenever you bolster the squirrels for the following time you must keep all these focuses in your intellect so that you just can nourish them without getting them harmed.
The squirrels are food-loving animals they will never say no to the nourishment. But in case you have got arranged to require care of them so what else can be superior to know their needs and necessities.
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