Learn About Chipmunks, Bats, Squirrels and Birds!
Like other small mammals, squirrels are also susceptible to attacks from a wide variety of predators. These predators vary according to the types of squirrels. Different species of squirrels have evolved to adopt various defense mechanisms against predators, but they still tend to make vulnerable targets. This is also why squirrels live longer in captivity than they do in the wild.
Have you ever wondered, “What Eats Squirrels?” I did and this is what I found!
There are twelve types or species of “true” foxes in the genus Vulpes. In fact, foxes live all over the world except for Antarctica.
However, the Red Fox in Australia was introduced for sport hunting.
Foxes are considered wild animals and have not been domesticated even though sometimes people try to keep them as pets.
Foxes are shy animals which makes it difficult to keep track of them through the seasons. Many people wonder about the winter behavior and activity of foxes and specifically ask, “Do foxes hibernate in winter?”
The answer is, “No, foxes do not hibernate in winter. Foxes have many adaptations that help them survive winter with the two largest being the development of a thicker fur coat and the adaptation of their diet.
Let’s look at these adaptations in more detail as well as some other interesting facts about fox behavior in the winter.
The dietary habits of squirrels is fascinating! What and how these animals eat is essential for the development of healthy forests and varies throughout the year. There are even a couple of food items that they require which will really surprise you!
Have you ever wondered, “What do squirrels eat?”
Squirrels are opportunistic omnivores that primarily eat nuts (acorns, hickory, pecan), tree buds, grains, grasses and fungi. Squirrels will also eat protein sources such as bird eggs, insects and small reptiles. The exact diet of a squirrel is dependent upon both the species in question along with geographical location.
Let’s take a closer look at how the diet of a squirrel varies between different species and throughout the year.
Squirrels are opportunistic eaters and their diets will vary based upon what food sources are available. Some of the most common food sources for these animals are given below.
One of the primary food sources for squirrels are the tree nuts found in their natural habitats.
Grey and Fox squirrels love to eat nuts from oak, walnut, hickory, and pecan trees.
Red Squirrels subsist primarily upon the nuts found within pine cones. The heavy reliance upon this particular food source is why these animals are often referred to as “Pine Squirrels”.
Tree nuts are a significant portion of a squirrels diet but they are not available all year long.
While squirrels will create large caches of nuts when they are plentiful in the fall, these resources are usually completely consumed during winter and requires the animals to rely upon other food sources in the Spring and Summer.
Sometimes a squirrel will forget where they left a cache of nuts and some of these will sprout in the Spring and help the forest remain healthy!
In the Spring squirrels will feast on the tender, nutrient dense budding flowers and fresh green shoots from their favorite trees and shrubs. At times they will even eat the bark from some trees.
Some common tree buds that they enjoy include:
If you are an avid gardener then you have probably watched your precious tulips being munched upon (or even dug up!) by squirrels looking for a Springtime meal.
Squirrels appreciate a healthy diet and all sorts of vegetables are on the menu! Some of the most common vegetables they consume are:
It can be really hard to keep squirrels out of vegetable gardens and many people resort to trapping.
I love eating mushrooms and so do squirrels!
While all squirrels eat mushrooms they are a primary part of the diet for flying squirrels and are heavily relied upon by pine squirrels.
Like so many things in nature, there is a special relationship between flying squirrels, the fungus they love and the health of the forest.
The fungi eaten by flying squirrels, mycorrhizae, grows near the base of trees and helps promote the health of nitrogen fixing bacteria. The nitrogen fixing bacteria help provide trees with essential nutrients trees that enables healthy growth.
When flying squirrels harvest this fungus they help spread the spores and distribute the fungus throughout the forest.
Insects are eaten in the summer and are probably especially important for juveniles. (source).
Insects are plentiful, easy to catch and are typically high in protein. This combination makes insects an ideal food source for young squirrels who are just starting their way through the world and need plenty of protein for rapid growth.
Squirrels are opportunistic eaters and will chow down on bird eggs or even fledglings if they happen to come across an unprotected nest. The most notorious species for eating birds are the Northern and Southern flying squirrels.
Flying squirrels spend most of their time in trees so they have more opportunity to come across nests.
The National Wildlife Federation states, “Southern flying squirrels are considered one of the most carnivorous squirrels because they supplement their diet with eggs, birds, and carrion.”
The meat eating behavior of squirrels varies significantly between species.
Female Fox and Grey squirrels will eat carrion to provide much needed protein while pregnant and nursing.
Pine squirrels have been reported to actively hunt chipmunks and even northern hare.
Ground squirrels routinely fight snakes that come to eat the young from their burrows. Often the ground squirrels will kill the snake and eat it afterwards
Here is a GREAT article about the amazing defenses ground squirrels have against snakes!
Squirrels are extremely fond of fleshy fruits like apples and peaches. Depending upon the region and fruit, orchard owners will often report losing up to 20% of their harvest to squirrels and birds.
Many owners of fruit trees resort to picking fruits early when they are still not quire ripe just to avoid having the tree ravaged by hungry squirrels.
Other fruits that squirrels enjoy which are found in their natural habitats include:
You can also head over to YouTube, do a search for “Drunk Squirrel” and find plenty of videos featuring squirrels that have consumed a little too much of the following fermented fruits:
There are two unexpected food categories for these animals and they are both based upon the fact that squirrels are members of the rodent family.
Let’s take a look!
One surprising food item that needs to be addressed is the squirrel’s need for animal bones or antlers.
The defining characteristic of a rodent is the presence of front incisor teeth that never stop growing. Rodents need hard substrates to gnaw upon. The gnawing keeps the incisors sharp and prevents them from becoming overgrown.
An ideal substrate for squirrels to gnaw upon are the bones and antlers of other animals. In addition to keeping their teeth in shape, the bones and antlers provide a rich source of calcium for the animals.
I bet you didn’t see this one coming!
All rodents practice “coprophagy” which involves eating their own feces. Although this probably sounds disgusting, coprophagy is an essential practice.
When rodents eat food some of the essential digestive work that converts the food into absorbable nutrients is performed in the lower intestine. The issue is that while the lower intestine can perform the conversion, it cannot absorb the nutrients.
In order for rodents to benefit from the digestive work performed by the lower intestine they must eat their poop so the nutrients can be absorbed in the upper intestines.
If you have been feeding birds for longer than a few days then you already know that squirrels love to eat sunflower seeds. Trying to keep squirrels out bird feeders is a billion dollar industry.
One of the best ways I have found to deter squirrels is to fill my feeders with safflower seeds which is one of the few foods that squirrels do not like to eat.
I have found safflower seeds to be readily accepted and enjoyed by the songbirds in my yard and the squirrels are completely uninterested in raiding the feeders.
Peanuts are not a natural part of a squirrel’s diet and whether or not you should offer them to your furry friends is a point of debate.
Many wildlife specialists will tell you that peanuts are high in fat and are not healthy for wild animals. Other folks will point out that the leading causes of squirrel mortality are predation, cold and lack of food. I love my squirrels so I don’t mind putting a little extra food out for them, especially during winter months.
Peanuts should not be the primary food source for squirrels so if you do decide to feed them make sure their are other food options available. You could always put up one of our picnic table squirrel feeders and let them eat corn!
The following wonderful resources were used as reference materials for this article. If you would like to learn more about the dietary preferences of these amazing animals then please explore the links below!
Squirrels are among the most common wildlife that we see in urban environments and they generate a lot of curiosity with their behavior and antics. People are especially fascinated with baby squirrels because, let’s be honest, they are absolutely adorable! If you are excited about the thought of seeing some of these delightful itty bitty fur balls then you are probably wondering, “When do squirrels have babies?”
Squirrels have a litter of 2-4 babies, called kits or kittens, in February and March. Older female squirrels will produce a second litter in August. The timing of the births will vary based upon latitude and availability of food. The babies will leave the nest at three months of age and reach full size nine months after being born.
We are going to be specifically looking at the Eastern Grey squirrel for this article as it is one of the most common squirrel seen and asked about in urban environments. Other species of squirrels (Fox Squirrels, Red Squirrels and Flying Squirrels) follow similar patterns of reproductive behavior but with different breeding dates and gestation periods.
Eastern grey squirrels breed in late December through February in warm climates (source). In colder climates the breeding season is delayed and occurs in January through March (source). Grey squirrels have a second breeding season in May through June which extends into July in colder climates.
Grey squirrels will carry their babies for 44 days which results in the earliest baby squirrels being born in late January and the latest being born in April. In the fall breeding season the babies will be born in June and July.
| Breeding Month | Gestation | Birth Month |
| December | 44 days | January |
| January | 44 days | February |
| February | 44 days | March |
| March | 44 days | April |
| May | 44 days | June |
| June | 44 days | July |
| July | 44 days | August |
By taking the differences in climate into account you can see that squirrels in Florida will have babies in late January and June while squirrels in Michigan will have babies in April and August.
The numbers and dates presented above are general ranges but they can vary dramatically based on environmental conditions. An article published in the Journal of Ecology by John Gurnell in 1996 showed a strong statistical correlation between both food availability and winter severity with the breeding patterns of grey squirrels (source). To quote from the article’s abstract:
“In good seed years, breeding starts in December, in poor seed years the start of breeding is deferred until the spring. There was no or very little spring breeding in 5 years when food supplies were poor.”
Here is a more detailed article describing what squirrels eat that shows the importance of different food sources: What Do Squirrels Eat? Two Big Surprises!
Grey squirrels average three babies per litter with a maximum liter size of eight. These babies, called kits or kittens, are born blind, deaf, and furless, like most other species of rodents. Their ears are also folded against their skull and they are completely helpless. The kits weigh about 15 grams which is about the same weight as two tablespoons of flour.
The mother squirrel remains in the nest with the babies, where she cares for them by herself. They are fed every few hours and require constant care by their mother for several weeks.
The timeline for the development of young squirrels can be described as follows
Baby squirrels become fully independent and are able to leave the nest roughly three months after being born (source). This means that the squirrels that are born in late January will start running around your yard towards the end of April while ones born from the summer breeding season will emerge in the September/October timeframe.
Depending on the number of squirrels in the immediate area and available nesting sites, the young squirrels may try to build their nest close to their mother. Grey squirrels are not territorial and most stay within two miles of their home nest. If the area is crowded with other squirrels, the young squirrels may be forced to travel further away to establish their nest.
Squirrels born from the summer mating season have little time to prepare for winter by fattening up and caching nuts than squirrels born in the spring. As a result, the long term survival rate for summer babies is typically lower than spring babies (source). The other major factor that influences how long squirrels live is the abundance of predators.
Young squirrels reach their full adult size and mass around 9 months of age but sexual maturity takes longer to obtain.
Female grey squirrels typically reach sexual maturity when they are about 15 months old while male squirrels are sexually mature closer to 12 months old but will be delayed if in the presence of dominate males. This means that a female squirrel born in November would be ready to mate in the following summer season.
The reproductive cycle of male grey squirrels is interesting and is defined through testicular development. Sexually active male squirrels have very pronounced testicles that go through two seasons of testicular regression where the size of their testicles shrink by up to 90% (source). These times of regression correspond to seasons where females are not breeding and are thought to be a way to conserve energy.
The thought that testicular regression is an energy conservation mechanism is supported by a study that showed males which were extremely well fed in an enclosed environment did not undergo regression (source). Further supporting this idea is another study which showed regression was prolonged when food was scarce.
Squirrels do not mate for life and are quite promiscuous. Males will mate with multiple females and females will mate with multiple males. It is not uncommon for a female squirrel to have a litter where the kits are sired by multiple fathers. The mating process involves elaborate chases where males pursue the females and scare away other males.
Read more about it here: Why Do Squirrels Chase Each Other? Are They Fighting?
I love feeding the squirrels and watching my dogs chase them in circles. Most of the time the critters are just scampering around like normal and chattering away at my dogs.
Sometimes though, you will see a squirrel that is acting incredibly aggressive towards humans or that is stumbling around when it walks. Both of these behaviors are similar to what is seen in rabid wild animals. It made me ask the question, “Do squirrels carry rabies?”
Squirrels do not carry rabies but do carry other diseases. If you see a squirrel behaving erratically then there are multiple reasons to explain the odd behavior other than rabies.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that squirrels are extremely unlikely to carry the rabies virus. While rabies is certainly a dangerous disease for humans it is actually quite rare in the US population. On average there are only 2-3 reports of rabies being transmitted to humans in this country each year (source).
There is a rather short list of US rabies cases since 1951 (source). In almost all cases of infection the disease was transmitted to a human through contact with bats.
Interested? Read this: Do Bats Carry Diseases? You Betcha!
Just because you don’t have to worry about rabies doesn’t mean that it is safe to handle squirrels as they can spread tularemia and leptospirosis through their bites.
Tularemia is a bacterial disease that attacks the skin and lymph nodes. The lymph nodes may swell while ulcers may develop at the site of the bite. The symptoms may develop within several days up to two weeks.
Leptospirosis is also a bacterial disease. Those infected with this disease may experience headaches, fever, vomiting, rashes, and jaundice. Leptospirosis may also lead to kidney damage.
In rare cases, squirrels may also spread ringworm. Ringworm is not a worm. It is a fungal infection that primarily affects the skin. A red rash with a ring-like appearance may develop and become irritated. This infection may spread through contact with a squirrel and is less likely to spread as a result of a bite.
While squirrels rarely pass diseases to humans and pets, it is still important to visit a doctor if you are unfortunate enough to getting bitten to take preventative action against infections.
Also, don’t miss this: Can My Dog Get Sick From Killing A Squirrel? Probably Not!
One symptom people associate with rabid animals is the animal acting erratically. Normally if you see a wild animal that has a staggering gait or is approaching you in an aggressive manner then you should be concerned about the animal being rabid. However, there are many reasons to explain this behavior is squirrels other than rabies.
Squirrels are smart animals. If one of their standard food sources comes from people sitting on park benches and feeding them peanuts then they are going to assume that anyone sitting on those benches has some food for them.
It is not uncommon for squirrels (or even chipmunks) that are used to being hand fed by humans to run towards people and even start climbing on them and going through their pockets. These squirrels can become quite aggressive at times and have been known to accidentally scratch people with their sharp claws as they climb around them.
Squirrels have an extremely diverse diet that often includes fruits and vegetables. If a squirrel eats fruit that has fermented then the little guy can get drunk and will be wobbling around as it walks.
Another reason for erratic behavior in a squirrel is if it is in distress from being poisoned or attacked by a predator.
There are a lot of people who dislike squirrels, especially ground squirrels, and resort to the use of poisons to eliminate them. A poisoned squirrel is going to be suffering and walking/acting in a manner that is not normal. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to help a squirrel that has been poisoned.
Squirrels have many predators and are under frequent attack.
Read all about it here: What Eats Squirrels? Which Animals are the Top Predators?
If you see a squirrel that is walking or acting strangely then there is a good chance that it has escaped a predatory attack but was injured in the process. If you see an injured squirrel you can put some food and water into a sheltered location for it but do not try to catch it with your bare hands.
It is important to remember that squirrel bites are uncommon but that the best prevention is to leave wild animals alone.
Bats are amazing animals that, partly because they are nocturnal, are shrouded in mystery. Not only are these animals nocturnal, they typically find very concealed places to sleep during the day so they will be safe from predators. The combination of hiding during the day and nocturnal activity often leads people to ask, “Where do bats live?”
Bats live in locations that protect them from predators and the weather. These locations are typically caves, attics, abandoned structures or even trees. Bats typically change roost locations throughout the year and spend the winter in special caves that are ideally suited for hibernation.
Let’s look at the roosting locations of bats in more detail.
Bats will roost in a wide array of locations as long as the basic need of protection from predators and weather are met. Bats do not make nests and instead rely upon taking advantage of whatever locations they can find.
Caves are popular homes for bats as are the abandoned mines and human made structures such as wells, attics and the underside of bridges. Rock crevices are favorite homes for some species like Eastern Small-Footed Bats and little brown bats.
The group Bat Conservation International states that of the 47 species of bats that live in the United States, more than half of them live in trees (source). Bats will roost in dead trees beneath loose bark or inside cavities. Others types of bats roost exclusively in the foliage of living trees.
You’ll also like this: Types of Bats: An Introduction To Common Bats Of The United States
Where a bat will roost will depend heavily upon both the species of bat as well as its geographical location. Below is a list from the College of Agricultural Sciences at Pennsylvania State University that details the preferred summer roost locations by the different types of bats in Pennsylvania (source).
| Species |
Roost Location
|
| Little brown |
Inside Buildings
|
| Big brown |
Inside Buildings
|
| Eastern pipistrelle | Trees |
| Northern long-eared |
Trees, Building Exteriors
|
| Indiana |
Hollow Trees, Beneath Tree Bark, Caves, Mines
|
| Small-footed |
Beneath Tree Bark, Rock Piles
|
| Silver-haired |
Tree Crevices
|
| Red | Tree Foliage |
| Hoary | Tree Foliage |
| Seminole | Tree Foliage |
| Evening |
Buildings, Hollow Trees
|
Almost all bat species found in the United States are insectivores and prefer to roost close to a water source such as a lake or river (source). The water source provides water from them to drink and also attracts their favorite food source.
Read more here: [SHOCKING] What Do Bats Eat: Insects, Fruit and Blood!
Bats will often segregate their roost with females forming maternal colonies where they raise their pups and the males forming bachelor colonies.
When fall comes around and it is time for bats to hibernate they become incredibly picky about where they will roost. In order for a bat to survive hibernation the environmental conditions have to be just right and the optimum conditions vary between species. For example the roost temperature for a hibernation gray bat must be between 42 to 52 degrees F while the Big Brown bat can tolerate temperatures between 32 to 41 degrees F. (source).
Bats seek locations where the temperature and humidity will be consistent for the full hibernation cycle. Typically these locations are deep underground caves or abandoned mine shafts.
The specificity of cave requirements can be extreme as noted in the example of the endangered Gray bat. According to Bat Conservation International, at least 95% of the entire known gray bat population hibernates in just nine highly vulnerable caves, with more than half in a single cave (source).
Here is an overview of several famous bat roosts that are worth pointing out as well as a few interesting bats whose homes are always of interest.
Many people are scared of bats. They think that bats are disease ridden, blood suckers that hide under the cover of darkness so you can’t see them coming. They think that bats are around just to spread viruses.
This fear of bats is driven by a lack of understanding into the true nature of the animals. Let’s take a closer look at why people are terrified of bats and see if we can’t clear up some misunderstandings.
When people have a complete phobia about bats the condition is called “Chiroptophobia” (source). While this condition is very real and painful for those who are suffering from it, this is not the focus of this article.
Instead of the fear that comes from a phobia, we will be looking at the fear produced by a lack of understanding. These fears stem from concerns about being attacked, catching diseases and simply being afraid of the dark.
The Mayan civilization is one of the earliest to have developed a mythology surrounding bats. Camazotz, also known as the “Death Bat God”, was a figurative idol that was expressed throughout Mayan artwork and culture dating back as far as 2,000 BC. So, we know that even the Mayans had developed a less-than-stellar opinion of bats, going so far as to associate them with death.
When we examine the behavior of most bat species, it’s not surprising that early humans developed such an off-putting opinion about them. Bats prefer to live in the shadows or the dark, they swoop down from the skies during times when we cannot see them well, and they’re nowhere to be found in the daylight hours, unless of course you wander into a cavern and find a bat colony roosting on the ceiling.
However, not all mythology surrounding bats is necessarily negative.
For example, the Evaki Goddess of ancient Native American folklore is often depicted as a bat and is associated with sleep and dreams (source). According to this myth, Evaki is responsible for taking the sun out of a jar every morning and putting it back every evening, contributing to the routine operation of the cosmos. Even still, Evaki is shrouded in a dark, night-ish aura that smacks of disguise and elusivity.
Being bitten by a bat is something that people fear but it is not something they should be worried about. While bats do bite humans it is almost always in self defense.
It is hard to put an exact number on how many people get bitten by bats but some numbers from the city of Philadelphia helps put things in perspective. Over a period of five years the city had about 500 reports of bat bites compared to 6,900 reports of bites from cats and dogs (source).
The most common way people get bitten by a bat is when they try to catch a bat by grabbing it in their hands. This typically happens when a bat gets trapped inside a house and a clumsy homeowner tries to handle the situation. Other instances of bites occur when people are handling or trying to release a sick bat they found on the ground.
Bats will not actively seek you out to bite you. Most bats eat small flying insects or fruits and seeds and do not see humans as edible food sources. The best prevention for bites is to leave bats alone.
Bats are associated with dangerous or deadly diseases such as rabies and that scares the heck out of people. To be fair, the Center for Disease Control says that most cases of rabies in humans between 1997 to 2006 are from bats so it is understandable that people are concerned.
On the other hand, in that ten year period there were only 19 cases of rabies in the United States. Put another way, there are about two cases of rabies from bats per year.
Bats can carry other diseases than rabies. Regardless of what disease people are concerned about the overarching guidance is the same:
Do not attempt to handle a bat. It does not matter if you are trying to help an injured bat or are trying to get a bat out of your bedroom. Do not attempt to handle a bat.
What really freaks people out is the thought of a bat swooping down from the sky, landing on your neck and sucking your blood.
The notion of people being attacked by blood sucking bats makes for great scary movies but is not a concern in the United States. The only bats that eat blood from other animals are vampire bats. While vampire bats do exist they only exist in Central and South America where their food of choice is sleeping livestock (source).
Some people think that bats are simply flying rats and since rats are nasty then bats must be as well.
The good news is that bats and rats have very little in common. Bats are not rodents like rats as they lack the constantly growing front incisors. Bats also tend to avoid humans when possible while rats thrive in our presence.
About the only thing rats and bats have in common is that they are both nocturnal, are about the same size and sometimes live in trees.
If it makes you feel better, bats are much more like sugar gliders than rats!
Last up on the list of why people get freaked out over bats is that bats typically come out at night.
If someone is already afraid of the dark then any sudden motions that they sense will increase their anxiety levels. The thing about bats and sudden motions is that bats are aerial acrobats that can turn on a dime and fly at incredible speeds. So yeah, if you are afraid of the dark then bats might freak you out even more!
Don’t miss this: How Fast and High Do Bats Fly?
This is one of those crazy situations that you can actually make worse when you try to solve it! The easiest way to deal with being afraid of the dark is carry a flashlight set on high or to stay in lit areas like under a light pole. The problem is that the light will attract moths and moths are one of the favorite foods bats like to eat!
If the thought of being around bats stresses you out then just remember that, as long as you do not try to handle them, they will not harm you.
Bats are some of the most populous animals on the planet, and they live on every continent except the arctic. They’ve also been around for a very, very long time, dating back as far as 52 million years ago. For as pervasive and long-lived as bats are, it makes sense to ask the question, “What do bats eat?”.
Almost all species of bats in the United States are Insectivores that eat flying insects such as beetles, moths, mosquitoes, gnats, flies and wasps. Some tropical species of bats are Frugivores that eat fruits, seeds and nectar while the Vampire bat dines on the blood of other animals.
When you examine all of the different types of bats in the world you will find that their is a great diversity in their diets that can be broken into the following categories:
Let’s look at each of these categories in more detail.
How bats survive winter is incredibly complex and, in some cases, almost miraculous. When it comes to winter survival a common question is often asked, “Do bats hibernate or migrate?” Here is the quick answer:
Some species of bats hibernate while other species migrate to warmer climates during the winter. Some species of bats are migratory in order to reach specific hibernation areas.
The mechanisms bats use to survive winter are only partially understood. The fact that bats are nocturnal creatures that live in remote, often hidden locations makes studying them, especially in the cold of winter, difficult. These challenges are compounded by differing behavior between the different types of bats and even variable behavior within the same species that are in different geographic locations.
An example of the diversity in winter behaviors are the nine species of bats that regularly reside in the state of Pennsylvania. Six of these species undergo hibernation in Pennsylvania while three species migrate to hibernation locations in other parts of the country (source).
Let’s take a look at some bats that hibernate, some that migrate and some that do both.
