Every creature have their own unique characteristic that made them look special. The appearances, habit, and behavior of each one is incomparable. Although, they were classified in the same family, doesn’t mean they have similar habitual or behavioral within them. This thing also happened to ground squirrel. There are 3 unique things about ground squirrel feeding habit and make them stand out among other squirrel species.
Of course, some species have their own characteristics which is as much beautiful as others, the real example was showed on flying squirrel. Flying squirrel is gifted with a pair of patagium (parachute look alike membranes that spread from wrist to ankle) which provides the ability to glide on trees. Fun facts, there are some myths about the flying squirrel that might surprise you. Most of it was misinformation assumed by people, and other was the cultural belief of native tribes around the world.
Although we know that squirrel originated as undomesticated animals, apparently, these days peoples are allowed to keep them as pet (the regulation approval would be different in each region). However, let me remind you about things you need to know before you buy flying squirrel – plus, how to raise your own squirrels. Those are basic guidelines if you – seriously – want a pet squirrel as companion.
One other thing, I suggest you to read this one as addition information about squirrel nest: is squirrel nest become important thing for their survival. Furthermore, several squirrel species are already famous world-wide such as Texas squirrel, eastern gray squirrel, fox squirrel, red squirrel, ground squirrel, and etc. Each squirrel have behavioral advantages and disadvantages which once more again, can’t be compare to one another.
So, let’s talk about 3 unique things about ground squirrel feeding habit that make them a little bit more different from other species.
Ground Squirrel
Ground squirrel is part of rodent family, this species prefer to live on or in the ground rather than up on the trees. For your note, my friends, ground squirrel is a term used to describe medium-sized squirrels, for the bigger-sized squirrel, people often used prairie dog or marmots, and then the smaller -sized, less bushy-tailed ground squirrel commonly called as chipmunk. These three species gather as one squirrel’s tribe called marmot tribe.
Furthermore, ground squirrel is famous for the tendency to rise up on their hind legs – which is adorable by the way. This behavior occurs anytime they sense any kind of danger, or when they turn into monitoring mode (over tall grasses). However, ground squirrel natural habitat was around fields, pastures, rocky outcrops, and sparsely wooded hillsides. Surprisingly, this animal also live on public areas, such cemetery, golf fields, even parks – as long those places provide grasses.
Unlike flying squirrel that part of nocturnal species, ground squirrel was part of diurnal animal, which active during the day. Although they love sunlight, most of the time, ground species avoided the sunlight (when the heat was too intense), hide under shadowing places or things. They choose to do their routine in the morning or late afternoon, and during winter, they would hygge, but don’t worry, sometime they would show up from their warm and cozy nest to have some ventures.
Ground Squirrel Diet Habit
Ground squirrels are known as omnivorous species. Most primarily diet of ground squirrels are rich fiber foods such as fungi, seeds, grasses, fruits, and nuts; but, they also often eat a lot of little creatures such eggs, insects, and other small animal they could found. Shockingly, this animal preference was pretty unpredictable, often times, they were seen eating mice or rats which is several times of their size and young snakes!
They changed feeding habit during the spring when the sprouting begins. But, keep in mind, every species of ground squirrel also have their own foods preference; and we would take examples from several known species of ground squirrel and each habitual they perform associate with the feeding habit.
1. California Ground Squirrel
Although California ground squirrels are opportunistic type, ordinarily their preference would fall to wide range of grasses, leaves (when the green forages are available between September to March or April), and forbs. Otherwise, if those foods aren’t much available to fulfill the necessity, the option would go to seeds as the prime diet menu. California ground habit would perform a little habit of carrying the seeds into the cheek pouches that open the possibility to hull the seeds in shady and safe place in order for later consumption.
As omnivorous, a lot of times they would search some vertebrates as addition. The choices of foods was effected by seasonal foods that provided at the time. After a long hygge, California ground squirrel would exclusively make green grasses and herbaceous plants as the primarily diet. As the time of other plants bloom, this species would turn their preference into seeds and fruits; this change happened approximately about two-week period.
2. Belding’s Ground Squirrel
The next squirrel is Belding’s ground squirrel. Belding’s ground squirrel is unique because they extensively eat stems and leaves on the wild, and also cultivated legumes and grasses. Moreover, other type of foods such as herbaceous plant’s roots, flowers, leaves, and stems; it’s all rely on which ingredients are available.
One certain thing, Belding’s ground squirrel didn’t changed their diet to grains and seeds during summer, instead, they choose to hygge at that moment. Unfortunately, the lack of seeds on their diet bring some management issues in belding’s ground squirrel.
3. Stripe Ground Squirrel
The last squirrel that we would discuss from our article today: 3 unique things about ground squirrel feeding habit is stripe ground squirrel. Stripe ground squirrel was one of the most unique squirrel associate with features. Although, they might have eccentric features, apparently their feeding habit was quite normal as omnivore. They would forage the food which is mostly on the ground, and take type of foods such roots and nuts, seeds, and sometime they also catch excess food under stones.
Moreover, stripe ground squirrel also take some food addition of bird’s eggs, vertebrates, and other small animals they could catch. One certain thing you must remember, that ground squirrel diet preference was influenced by the rate of effectiveness from the management options itself.