Can Squirrels Eat Grapes?

Can Squirrels Eat Grapes?



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Grapes

Grapes are fruits, which are botanically berries that grow in clusters ranging from 15 to over 100. They grow in different colors such as crimson, dark blue, yellow, green orange and pink. They are very tasty as they contain a lot of sugar. Hence, they are used in making wine, juice, jelly, vinegar, and grape seed oil by crushing and blending into liquid. They are also eaten fresh as table grapes. Grapes are highly nutritious as they contain vitamins, minerals, fat, and proteins. They help to boost the immune system. Grapes also contain antioxidants which play a vital role in preventing heart diseases and cancers.

Squirrels are nice pets that people love to keep at home as they can be very entertaining with the swishing of their tails, running here and there playfully and of course not to forget their acrobatic skills. They need a balanced diet to keep up with these activities. And this brings us to the question, can squirrels eat grape.

Squirrel

Can squirrels eat grapes?

Yes, they can eat grape. Basically, the best foods for squirrels are acorns, pumpkin seeds, almonds and nuts. But due to the nutritious constitution of grapes and requirement of squirrels for their daily activities, grapes are a very fine treat that can be given to them occasionally.Squirrels enjoy eating human food, vegetables and fruits, and grapes are never an exception. These grapes are supplements that have great nutritional value to the squirrels.

How often should one feed squirrels with grapes?

Grapes are not essentially needed by squirrels. Furthermore, grapes contain a lot of sugar which is not very good for the squirrel, as the digestive system of squirrels is not designed to consume tons of sugar. 

Therefore, grapes should be given to them once or twice in a week. That is to say, there are limits when it comes to feeding your pet squirrel grapes. This is to prevent them from consuming excess sugar which can be toxic to their immune system. Excess grapes can cause kidney failure and other diseases.

Squirrels enjoy eating grapes due to its sweet taste and they can eat grapes anywhere they find them. They eat the grape seeds as well. These grape seeds are as nutritious as the grape skin, as they contain high levels of fat and protein, as well as vitamin A, B and C. But for a better consumption of these grape seeds, they should be crushed or ground properly before being fed to squirrels especially when feeding baby squirrels.

What else is there to consider?

One other thing to put into consideration when feeding squirrels with grapes is that not all types of grapes are safe for squirrels. And even the safe ones are to be given in small amounts. Grapes such as black grapes and concord grapes are not safe for squirrels to eat. The green grapes are the most common and safest type of grapes for squirrels.

Grapes

What are the benefits of feeding your squirrels grapes?

Grapes are energy boosters

Grapes contain calories which boosts the energy level of squirrels. As we all know, squirrels are very active animals and require energy for to and fro movements. Grapes help to provide them with this energy requirement for their daily activities.

Immune system boosters:

One of the key immune system boosters is vitamin C and grapes contain a good amount of vitamin C which helps to boost the immune system of squirrels. Grapes also contain minerals which perform the same action. Squirrels are not selective in eating food. They eat a lot of things as they are omnivorous. Some of the things they eat are quite harmful to their immune system and makes the immune system to grow weak. 

This makes it difficult for such squirrels to fight off bacterial and viral infections. Hence, feeding squirrels with grapes helps to remedy the situation.

Strengthening of bones:

The minerals contained in grapes are in high amounts and they help in strengthening the bones of squirrels. This enables the squirrels to leap and jump from tree to tree and perform stylish acrobatics, as squirrels are never settled in a still position. Squirrels are never idle and they need strong bones.

Grapes are rich in antioxidants

Antioxidants are essential for the health and well being of squirrels. Grapes contain high antioxidant contents which help to fight against free radicals that can cause harm to the squirrel. These free radicals have negative effects which are being shielded against by the antioxidants.

Other foods which squirrels can be fed:

Vegetables: These plants give squirrels vitamins and other minerals which help their immune system. Ensure feeding your squirrels vegetables such as okra, carrots, asparagus, lettuce, leeks and squash.

Nuts: Nuts are the most favorite food for squirrels. They are very fond of eating nuts and they can easily sneak into gardens to find nuts. Nuts contain high amounts of proteins, carbs, vitamins and fats for the squirrels.

Fruits: Squirrels love eating fruits due to the sweet taste. Fruits such as pineapples, grapes, mangoes, bananas provide energy and minerals which help to boost their immunity.

Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds are the favorite seeds for squirrels. They are a good source of vitamins, proteins and minerals.

Squirrel

Final words

Grapes are very tasty and nutritious fruits which can be given to squirrels. However, they are not necessarily needed by squirrels and they contain tons of sugar which the digestive system of squirrels is not comfortable with as it lacks the moderation to control excess intake of sugar, which could lead to kidney failure and other diseases. On that note, individuals who keep squirrels as pets are advised to feed the squirrels with grapes occasionally. This could be once or twice in a week or a few slices of grapes in a day. 

Grapes contain seeds which are as nutritious as the grapes skin but could be toxic to the digestive system of squirrels if consumed in high amounts. For better consumption and digestion, ensure to crush the seeds into smaller particles especially when giving it to baby squirrels.



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