Food Chains: Squirrels

INTRODUCTION

Today, I will be writing about squirrels. More specifically, squirrels' place on the food chain. So, what are food chains, anyway? Food chains are, basically, a way of explaining what organisms eat and what eats them. In a more complex way of speaking, what they eat, and what that eats, and what that eats, etc. An example is that a cat eats a mouse, the mouse ate a grasshopper, and the grasshopper ate some grass. This is a basic food chain.

WHAT SQUIRRELS EAT

So, what do squirrels eat? Well, squirrels eat both plant and animal food, making them omnivores. So, let's start with plant foods.

Plants/vegetarian things that squirrels eat include, lichens, buds, mushrooms, roots, pine nuts, leaves, twigs, bark, acorns, peanuts, stale bread, sunflower seed, crackers, dry corn, oranges, avocados, pumpkin seeds, apples, apricots, strawberries, tomatoes, beans, and squash seeds. They also eat other fungi, fruits, seeds, and nuts; along with any green plant.

As for animal foods that squirrels eat, bird eggs, snails, small birds, [certain types of squirrels, like the grey squirrel, will eat] animal carcasses, other squirrels' young, and insects. They normally only eat meat in times of great hunger, especially as when the meat is a baby squirrel.

Some other things that squirrels eat are shed antlers and dog and cat food. As you can see, they have a very broad niche when it comes to food.

WHAT EATS SQUIRRELS

Well, coyotes, wolves, house cats, foxes, hawks, snakes, owls, raccoons, weasels, falcons, pine martens, fishers (the animal), badgers, bears, and cougars all prey on squirrels.

For cruel fun, humans will also kill squirrels. This is unlike animals, who survive by feeding on other creatures because they were built that way. Or omnivores, like foxes and bears, who might not be able to find enough plant food that day and eat another animal instead. Humans can live by eating solely plants, as many have proven. Vegetarianism in humans is, in fact, is a health benefit! Most humans don't even eat the squirrels they murder.

-KittyLover8

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