Squirrels can eat peanuts, but they don’t offer any nutritional value. Research indicates that eating peanuts regularly can cause squirrels to suffer from health problems and nutritional deficiencies.
It’s common to see people feeding squirrels peanuts in suburban and city parks, but is it good for the squirrels?
Various studies point to peanuts causing health problems for squirrels. But what harm do peanuts really do to squirrels?
In this article, you will learn about how peanuts affect squirrels, healthy peanut alternatives, and the nutritional value of peanuts for squirrels.
Can Squirrels Eat Peanuts?
Yes, squirrels can eat peanuts. But while squirrels won’t turn down peanuts, it doesn’t mean that the nuts are good for them. A diet high in peanuts causes squirrels to develop serious health conditions and life-threatening illnesses.
Squirrels are foragers, and they will eat what they can find. This works perfectly well in nature, but in urban settings, people have introduced squirrels to foods they would not eat in nature. Including peanuts.
If you give squirrels peanuts, they’ll gobble it up. They will also dig in bins and devour tossed takeaway scraps.
Neither is good for them.
The Nutritional Value of Peanuts
Peanuts are calorie-dense legumes that are high in protein and fats like omega 6. While they aren’t harmful in small amounts, frequent feeding of peanuts to squirrels can harm them.
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), despite the name, are not nuts. They are a legume, like beans, peas, lentils, and soy.[1]
Peanuts originate in South America and are a source of niacin, manganese, vitamin E, folate, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, and fiber.[2]
Peanuts are an excellent plant-based source of protein. But, they also contain a lot of fat, which is bad for squirrels in large amounts.
| Nutrient | Nutritional Value (100 g of Raw Peanuts) |
| Calories | 567 |
| Water | 7% |
| Protein | 25.8 g |
| Carbs | 16.13 g |
| Sugar | 4.72 g |
| Fiber | 8.5 g |
| Fat | 48.2 g |
| Saturated | 6.28 g |
| Monounsaturated | 24.43 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 15.56 g |
| Omega-3 | 0 g |
| Omega-6 | 15.3 g |
| Transfats | 0 g |
In moderation, peanuts pack a nutritional punch of healthy fats, protein, and fiber for humans. But in large amounts, peanuts are unhealthy.
Are Raw Peanuts Good For Squirrels?
No, raw peanuts are not good for squirrels. They increase the risk of squirrels developing liver cancer, nutritional deficiencies, and metabolic bone disease. Eating peanuts also reduces the strength of their jaws, making it harder for them to eat wild nuts.
There are several problems that can occur when squirrels eat peanuts regularly:
- Peanuts can increase squirrels’ risk of liver cancer
- Peanuts increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies
- Eating peanuts can reduce the strength of squirrels’ jaws
1. Peanuts Can Increase Squirrels’ Risk of Liver Cancer
Raw peanuts can contain aflatoxin, a type of chemical produced by two molds, Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus.
Aflatoxin is a known carcinogen or cancer-causing common. It’s not good for anyone, but it is particularly harmful to rodents and is a potent liver carcinogen.[3]
2. Peanuts Can Increase The Risk of Nutritional Deficiencies
Nuts are calorie-dense, meaning squirrels that are fed nuts reach their daily calorie requirement quickly. They then have no need to forage for healthy foods they would usually eat in the wild, like seeds, berries, fungi, and insects.
As a result, squirrels that eat a diet high in nuts are at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies and diseases.
One of the nutritional deficiencies observed in squirrels on a diet high in nuts is known as metabolic bone disease.
Metabolic bone disease is an irreversible and potentially fatal disease. It causes squirrels’ bones to become brittle and break easily. This is much like osteoporosis, except that it is life-threatening for squirrels.[4]
3. Eating Peanuts Can Reduce the Strength of Squirrels’ Jaws
Squirrels have strong jaws and sharp teeth to help them crack open the shells of nuts. If their diet consists mostly of peanuts (a soft nut) they will lose jaw strength.
This is what researchers from the University of York and National Museums Scotland found when they compared the jaws of red squirrels on the United Kingdom’s Lancashire coast with red squirrels in central Europe.
The squirrels on the Lancashire coast are often fed peanuts. Researchers found that the shape and functionality of their jaws changed. They developed weaker bites than the same species of squirrels in central Europe that are not fed peanuts.
The consequence of this is that the red squirrels now have a lessened ability to bite through the harder nuts that they naturally find, like pine cone seeds, hazelnuts, and beech nuts.[5]
What Nuts To Feed Squirrels Instead of Peanuts
You can feed squirrels acorns, almonds, hazelnuts, whole roasted pumpkin seeds, hickory nuts, walnuts and macadamia nuts. These are all better than peanuts.
According to the Avian and Animal Hospital (AAH) in Florida, squirrels should eat a maximum of two servings of nuts or seeds per day.[6]
Nuts and seeds should preferably be in the shell, so squirrels can exercise their jaws and keep these muscles strong.
7 Peanut Alternatives
Here are nuts and seeds recommended for squirrels:
- Acorns
- Whole roasted pumpkin seeds
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Hickory nuts
- Macadamia nuts
- Walnuts
Eastern gray squirrels, which is one of the most common tree squirrels in North America, love acorns and walnuts. The nocturnal and seldom-seen southern flying squirrels love hickory nuts.
What Do Squirrels Eat in The Wild?
In the wild, squirrels eat a combination of plant-based foods like tree nuts, wild berries, plant matter, and seeds. They also eat meat in the form of birds eggs, nestlings, young mice, insects, and carrion.
All squirrels are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant matter and meat.
Squirrels’ diets vary depending on the area they live in, the season, and the type of squirrel.
Most squirrels eat the following foods:
- Plant matter
- Fruits
- Tree nuts
- Seeds
- Insects
- Birds’ eggs and nestlings
- Small animals (young mice)
- Carrion (decaying animal meat)
Foods Not To Feed Squirrels
Peanuts are not the only food squirrels shouldn’t eat. Some foods are even more toxic, including chocolate, avocado skin and pits, fruit pits and seeds, and corn.
Whether you have a pet squirrel or feed squirrels in your garden, here are five foods to avoid as they are harmful to squirrels:
- Peanuts
- Corn
- Chocolate
- Avocado skin and pits
- Fruit pits and seeds
Related: What to Feed Squirrels (And What Not to Feed Them)
1. Peanuts
Two molds that can grow in peanuts and create aflatoxin, a potent liver carcinogen in rodents.
Peanuts also increase squirrels’ risk of developing nutritional deficiencies and related diseases, like Metabolic Bone Disease.
2. Corn
Like peanuts, molds that can grow on corn can create the carcinogen aflatoxin.[7]
4. Fruit Seeds and Pits
A substance in fruit seeds called persin can cause heart failure in squirrels.[6]
5. Avocado Skin and Pits
Persin, a substance that is poisonous to squirrels, is present in the skin and pits of avocado pears.[8]
Conclusion
The best possible diet for squirrels is a natural one. Squirrels that forage for natural foods themselves, that are native to their region, are less likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
Peanuts, which originate from South America, are not a native food to squirrels in North America and Europe. Even though squirrels are happy to eat peanuts, there is convincing evidence that peanuts cause squirrels harm.
FAQs
Are Peanuts Harmful to Squirrels?
Yes, peanuts are harmful to squirrels if they eat them in large quantities or on a regular basis. They don’t offer any nutritional value, resulting in malnutrition and health issues in the long run.
Do Squirrels Like Peanuts?
Squirrels are opportunistic foragers that eat almost anything, including road kill. The fact that they eat peanuts offered to them doesn’t mean that they love them more than foods, it simply means that they are happy to eat them. However, peanuts and peanut butter are often used to attract peanuts to traps, so they must hold some appeal to squirrels.
Can Squirrels Eat Salted Peanuts?
Squirrels can eat salted peanuts, but it doesn’t mean that it is good for them. Squirrels that eat a diet rich in nuts often have nutritional deficiencies. Peanuts also increase squirrels’ risks of developing metabolic bone disease and cancer of the liver. Added salt is not a natural part of squirrels’ diets and can tax their kidneys.
Is Peanut Butter Good for Squirrels?
No, peanut butter is not good for squirrels. In squirrels, a diet high in peanuts has been linked to nutritional deficiencies and diseases, like liver cancer. Peanut butter not only contains peanuts it is a processed food that can contain sugar, salt, added oils, and preservatives that squirrels’ digestive systems, kidneys, and pancreatitis are not designed to cope with.
