Squirrels are fascinating animals and you may often wonder what these pesky animals are up to. If you take your dog for a walk through the area, you might notice the squirrel staying around looking from afar. Does this mean they are hoping to get something out of the experience? You may wonder, do squirrels eat dog poop?
Squirrels do eat dog poop if given the opportunity to do so. It can act as a natural source of nutrients for them and they will be more than happy to take a little bit for themselves.
It’s important to note, this is not alway going to be the first preference for a squirrel when they are out in the wild. However, there are situations where the squirrel will be fine with a bit of dog poop.
Key factors include:
- Size of the Poop
- Location of the Poop
- Potential Predators in the Area
When asking “Do squirrels eat dog poop?” you have to realize the squirrel will not go near the poop if the dog is still around. Instead, they are going to wait around and hope the area is clear before venturing over to where the dog poop is.
For squirrels, it is just a way to find a neat treat that is going to be easy to dig into when given the opportunity to do so.
However, they will not take a massive risk to get to the dog poop and that is common with anything they do in the wild!
This article is going to dive deeper into this unique topic around the question “Do squirrels eat dog poop?” along with understanding why squirrels like dog poop in the first place.
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Reasons for Why Squirrels Eat Dog Poop
1. Easy Calories
It is always going to come down to finding easy calories to eat when in a situation such as this.
Squirrels in different types of settings may not find the foods they’re looking for. This means they will want to head over to the dog poop and start taking a bite.
For them, it is a neat way to find easy calories and it is something that will be readily available in most environments.
Squirrels will often take their time to sniff around seeking these types of food sources. It is an ideal option for them in urban settings where they may not have the opportunity to locate natural foods as easily as they would in the wild.
2. Attracted to the Scent
When asking, “Do squirrels eat dog poop?” it’s important to think about the scent of dog poop.
For squirrels, they are going to be sniffing around trying to find food throughout the day. This is what they are naturally inclined to do and that is not going to change whether they are in the city or somewhere else.
Due to this, they will often get attracted by the strong scent of dog poop.
Remember, for squirrels dog poop is not going to smell as bad as you may think it is.
For them, it is going to be a nice scent that is easy to pick up on and something they can rely on as a food source from time to time.
3. Nourishing
There is a nourishing aspect associated with dog poop for squirrels.
A squirrel will want to eat dog poop because it is going to fill them up and that is a good feeling for their health. It will reduce the risks they take during the day while still feeling happy.
A lot of decisions that are made by squirrels will be built around this part of life.
They just want to have a full belly and that is going to come with something as simple as dog poop.
Related Questions
1. What Wild Animal Will Eat Dog Poop?
Animals such as chimpanzees, rats, squirrels, rabbits, and dung beetles are commonly renowned for eating dog poop and will not mind taking a bite from time to time.
2. Do Coyotes Eat Dog Poop?
Coyotes can eat dog poop but will most likely use it as a way to seek out the dog’s scent. They are more than happy to go after the dog itself, which is why keeping dogs safe from coyotes is essential.
Final Thoughts
Do squirrels eat dog poop?
Squirrels are more than happy to eat dog poop assuming their other sources of food are unavailable. This is going to vary based on the squirrel but a lot of them will eat dog poop in urban areas.
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