Can Squirrels Eat Avocados?

Can Squirrels Eat Avocados?



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 Squirrels

 

Can Squirrels Eat Avocados?

Squirrels are not picky and can eat basically any food given to them so far it is edible. They are omnivorous mammals. They love eating nuts, vegetables and fruits which avocado is one of such. Avocados are rich in vitamin C, healthy fats, fibers and other micronutrients which are beneficial to the squirrels. That answers the above question. Squirrels will always find a way to steal avocados and other fruits from gardens and grocery stores.  This is very common in the United States. As a pet keeper, it will interest you to know the kind of food to give these critters. Avocados are recommendable for squirrels but there are certain things you have to put into consideration while feeding your squirrels with avocados. These include the safety, regularity, health benefits and hazards of feeding your squirrels with avocados. We will be looking at these parameters one after the other.

How Safe Are Avocados For Squirrels?

It is very obvious that squirrels love avocados and can decimate an entire avocado grove. Avocados are a good choice of food for them but the peels and pits of these fruits are toxic to them. Only the flesh of the fruit is safe for their consumption. To avoid this toxicity, you must ensure to feed only the flesh of avocados to your squirrels and this too should be in considerable quantity.

How often should one feed squirrels with avocados?

Squirrels should be fed avocados occasionally and not as a staple diet. According to research two large chunks of avocados on a daily basis is recommendable for squirrels. This is to allow the squirrels to have other varieties of food as a squirrel’s diet should consist of nuts, fruits, cereals and vegetables. The squirrels grow healthier when they consume large and different varieties of food.

In the course of feeding squirrels avocados, you must ensure not to feed rotten avocados to the squirrels. Rotten avocados contain white or gray fuzz that can be harmful to squirrels and even humans.

Avocados that have been exposed to harmful pesticides should not be given to the squirrels. Avocados should be purchased from local supermarkets or groceries that take very good care of the fruits.

avocados

What are the health benefits of avocados to squirrels?

As earlier stated, avocados are a very good source of nutrition for squirrels as they have vitamins, healthy fats, fibers and other minerals help to boost the immune system of squirrels and make them grow healthy. 

Avocados are also a good selection for squirrels that are experiencing pain or soreness in their teeth and jaws, and are finding it difficult to eat nuts. 

Avocados are low in sugar and can be served as part of a balanced diet without overloading their system with sugars that would cause diabetes or weight gain.

Are there health hazards involved in feeding squirrels avocados?

 The peels and pits of avocados contain toxins called persin which is fungicidal and contains cardiac glycosides which can cause a squirrel’s heart to overwork and pump out blood faster than the squirrel can handle. This can lead to heart failure.

These toxins are more common in unripe avocados than ripe avocados.

Summary

 Squirrels are lovers of avocados and fruits in general. They are not picky and would eat any food given to them. Avocados have nutritional value to squirrels but the peels and pits contain toxins which are harmful to the squirrels. These toxins are more common in unripe avocados than the ripe ones. Only the flesh should be fed to squirrels but this too should be occasionally and in considerable amounts. This is to prevent excess consumption of the fruit which could lead to obesity and other diseases such as diabetes or heart failure.



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