How do they eat?
 
 
 
 
S. carolinensis burying food store
photo courtesy of Mark Cassino

 
 
     -- All three squirrels discussed here forage on the ground for nuts, flowers and buds.
     -- S. carolinensis and S. niger forage for short periods of time twice a day.  Peak hours are two hours after sunrise and two to five hours after sunset.(Halloran 1999)
     -- G. volans are active throughout the night and in addition to nuts, flowers and buds eat insects.
     -- Acorn tannins may affect food preferences through effects on palatability and digestibility. 
     --  Captive S. carolinensis when fed a 100% red oak acorn diet lowered individual dry matter intake. 
     -- Other control individuals fed 100% white oak acorn diets showed lower protein digestibilities but did not show the negative effects of reduced eating.
    -- The study suggests that a variety of other foods may be needed to dillute the high levels of tannic acid in a red oak diet and also to give additional nutrients. (Chung, Hagerman, Kirkpatrtick 1997)

More About Squirrels..

 Who are the squirrels? - Where do they live? - How do they live there? - How do they locomote?(Morphology) - How do they locomote?(Limb function) - How do they "fly"?(Wing structure) -- How do they compare?(Other arboreal strategies)- How do you know so much? (Links and References) - Tree Squirrel Home - Animal Phys. Home - Davidson Home

Sarah Muffelman, squirrel descendant