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Can Squirrels Eat Raisins and Cranberries? (Answered)

Squirrels eat a lot of varieties of food. There are so many different kinds of squirrels worldwide, including red squirrels, ground squirrels, grey squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, black squirrels, striped squirrels, and many more.

Squirrels are from the mammals’ Sciuridae family, which is a close relative to chipmunks, prairie dogs, and woodchucks. We will be discussing the different kinds of squirrels and what do they eat if raisins and cranberries are safe for them and other foods that squirrels like to eat!

Can squirrels eat raisins?

Yes, squirrels can eat raisins. They eat both unsulfured and natural one along with dried cranberries. Raisins are a good source of nutrients, especially during the winter due to scarcity of food. But, dried raisins should be given in moderation to the squirrels as they have a high amount of sugar.

Let’s check out if the following squirrels can eat raisins or not –

Flying Squirrels:

Flying squirrels are called such a unique name because of their ability to jump really high from tree to tree. They can’t fly like birds, but with the help of patagium, a kind of parachute-like membrane that stretches from wrists to ankle, helping them fly.

They are mostly nocturnal and omnivorous animals and like to eat fruit, seeds, buds, flowers, insects, etc. As omnivores, they can have anything they get, which includes raisins also.

Grey squirrels:

The eastern gray squirrel is called Sciuruscarolinensis and comes from the genus Sciurus. They mostly like to eat tree bark, tree buds, flowers, seeds and acorns, walnuts, and hazelnuts, dried fruits, raisins, and cranberries, etc. 

Wild squirrels:

Wild squirrels come in a number of varieties from the family of Sciuridae, also known as rodents. They mostly like to feed on a mixture of seeds, various nuts, corn seeds, dried fruit, leaves, fungi, tree bark

They also eat sunflower seeds, peanuts, dried raisins, and berries. 

Are raisins safe for squirrels?

Yes, raisins are safe for squirrels. Unsulfured or naturally dried raisins can be given to squirrels. Especially during the winter season, there aren’t many sources of food available at that time. You could give small pieces of dried raisins, but they should be given in moderation.

 A high amount of sugar is not good for squirrels, and raisins contain a significantly high amount of sugar. Squirrels can also end up choking on the raisins as small pieces of food can go down the wrong pipe and create a hazard for them.

 The risks are minimal, but you should be aware of them if you don’t hurt your pet animals or the wild ones. Squirrels eat most kinds of food available to nature like seeds, nuts, acorns, including raisins and cranberries.

They are also omnivorous so they eat worms, insects as well.

Can squirrels choke on raisins?

Squirrels can choke on raisins even the chances are very less of them choking on it as they are really good pecking eaters. But, they still can go down the wrong pipe down their feeding system and create hazards for the little squirrels.

 It is best to give them smaller dried pieces of raisins in minimal amounts to avoid any kinds of hazards for the little ones. They can sometimes be destructive while eating through feeders to get seeds, nuts, and other treats.

Raisins are also very sweet, so they should be given in moderation.

What happens when squirrels eat too many raisins?

Raisins are small dried grapes with low moisture and low pH, resisting spoiling very easily. There are mainly two types of raisins. Brown and golden raisins.

Brown raisins are sun-dried for about four weeks in vineyards; on the other hand, golden raisins are oven-dried using sulfur dioxide to preserve their color.

Squirrels have been seen eating both, but it is better to give them unsulfured and naturally sun-dried raisins. Though there are some effects of eating too many raisins on squirrels, we are listing them below:

A high amount of Sugar:

Raisins are made from grapes; thus, they still have a high number of sugar molecules in them when they are dried. A high amount of sugar is really bad for squirrels. So, they should be given in moderation.

Heart Problems:

If the squirrels are given too many raisins to eat instead of any other food supplements, the high amount of sugar will create heart problems for them. 

Obesity:

With the high amount of sugar comes high loads of carbohydrates and glucose dosage, which can cause obesity amongst the squirrels.

Certain Digestive Disorders:

There remains a scarcity of food during winter, but if squirrels only eat raisins, they will get various kinds of digestive problems. 

Can squirrels eat cranberries?

Yes, squirrels can eat cranberries. Cranberries are an amazing source of vitamin C for humans as well as wildlife. Critters like squirrels love the sweet and tart flavor of the cranberries. The antioxidants in cranberries add more to the other nutritional values for the squirrels.

Let’s walk through this section to know, can squirrels eat the following cranberries or not –  

Dried cranberries:

Dried cranberries are somewhat similar to the process of turning grapes into raisins. They are partially dehydrated and dried by keeping overnight in water and sugar. They are also air-dried or made through freeze-drying.

That’s why dried cranberries have more sugar than raw cranberries. They contain 27 grams or more sugar than the raw ones. The high amount of sugar is bad for the squirrels, so raw ones are better. 

Fresh cranberries:

Cranberries are considered the healthiest member of the berry family. So, they have more nutritional value than the other berries though squirrels eat most kinds of berries. Blueberry, mulberry, and others.

A cup of fresh mulberries has about 46 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 12 grams of carbohydrates.

Raw cranberries:

Raw cranberries are the best source of nutrients for squirrels. Though they have a tarty or tangy smell and have less sugar than dried cranberries with 0 grams of fat and lesser carbohydrates.

Are cranberries safe for squirrels?

Yes, cranberries are safe for squirrels. The winter can be a hard time for the little critters to find a source of food. Squirrels mostly at everything, seeds, nuts, nectarines, mulberries, corn seeds, dried fruit, leaves, fungi, tree bark, etc.

They are also omnivorous, so they eat small insects, worms, and other sources of meat also.

 But, in winter, finding any of these becomes hard for them and their survival. Dried cranberries can be a very nutritional source of energy for them.

Dried cranberries have more sugar that will provide them the carbohydrate for a long time, and they also like the sugary and less tangy taste.

But, keep in mind to not give them more than necessary as it could also be harmful to their health and use the ones without any extra preservatives and only organically dried ones.

Do squirrels like cranberries?

Yes, squirrels do like cranberries. Squirrels like dried cranberries more than raw cranberries more. Dried cranberries are dried through water and sugar, making them less tangy and giving them a more sugary flavor. The little critters love that.

 The sugars attract them, and they don’t like the tarty taste much either. They are feeders of nuts and seeds, making it more fun to eat dried cranberries.

Dried cranberries also provide them with more energy as they contain higher levels of sugars that contain the glucose they need to survive during the winter.

What fruit can squirrels eat?

Squirrels can eat almost all kinds of foods. They are not a very picky eater. They are also omnivorous, so they eat more than just vegetables. But they do prefer fruits and vegetables more than other sources of food like insects and worms.

They eat loads of fruits, and we will be mentioning some of the fruits squirrels like to eat for their livelihood and what fruits you should provide them with for better nutritional value below: 

Bananas:

Squirrels love to eat bananas. Bananas are a really good source of vitamins and minerals, but they can be harmful to the squirrels as they have really high levels of sugar.

So if you give them bananas, it should be in minimal amounts, like one or two slices a day. Bananas contain vitamins C, D, and E and have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune system boosters. 

Apples:

Apples are also suitable for squirrels especially dried ones. But you should keep out the seeds as they contain cyanide and can be harmful. 

Berries:

 Squirrels love berries. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, dried cranberries are all great food sources for the critters. 

Final Thoughts 

Squirrels love to eat raisins and dried cranberries. Raisins have 0 fat and 19 g of carbohydrates, and dried cranberries have 1.2 g of fat and 82 g of carbohydrates in each 100 g. Making them suitable for the squirrels to get energy during winter is okay. But the sugar level should be maintained.