To say one word about the squirrel is they are foodies. They love nuts , bread, biscuits, leaves, fruits and many more. Let us know how they search, store food, how they eat and what you can feed.

In search of food …
As soon as the day starts they jump out from their nest to search food, to eat, to collect and hide food. According to studies their search areas will be around 15 meters radius around nest. They prefer morning times to collect food.

They build their nest where the source of food is abundant like fruit bearing trees and trees where seeds and nuts are available. They have good olfactory sense to smell the ripened fruits, they select the best fruit. The common fruits like mango, jackfruit etc. They nibble the fruits, when the fruit can’t bear the weight they fall to ground. In case of nuts they prefer the dried nuts, which they usually collect from ground, which are fallen .

They sniff on the ground, also search with their sharp beautiful eyes to catch the nuts. Do they start eating immediately? May be if they are hungry and not intended to store, they just hold the nut or any food in both hands, upright position, start nibbling with their sharp teeth and eat. If they want to store or feed the babies, they carry in their cheeks, which is more flexible and spacious.They store the food which is called ‘scatter hoarding’ or ‘cacheing’. They store in nest, in ground, tree cavities, rock crevices and wherever they feel safe. They remember those places . This play a vital role in

1)Survive during food scarcity

2)Reduce competition

3)Protect food from predators

4)Maintain energy reserves.

Sometimes they forget the places which is similar to planting a new tree, balance the ecosystem and be the part of nature.

Indian palm squirrels feed their babies, also known as kits, a variety of foods to ensure their growth and development. Here’s a quick view of their diet:

Initial Diet (0-10 days old):

1. Mother’s milk (primary source of nutrition)

Transition Diet (10-20 days old):

1. Regurgitated food (mother’s partially digested food)
2. Soft fruits (e.g., mango, banana)
3. Insects (e.g., crickets, mealworms)

Weaning Diet (20-40 days old):

1. Fruits (e.g., berries, figs)
2. Nuts (e.g., almonds, cashews)
3. Seeds (e.g., sunflower, pumpkin)
4. Insects (e.g., grasshoppers, caterpillars)

Solid Food (after 40 days old):

1. Same diet as adults, including:
   • Fruits (e.g., mangoes, bananas)
   • Nuts (e.g., almonds, cashews)
   • Seeds (e.g., sunflower, pumpkin)
   • Insects (e.g., grasshoppers, crickets)
   • Buds and leaves

Some more interesting facts

• Mother squirrels teach their kits foraging skills.
• Kits start venturing out of the nest at around 30-40 days old.
• Squirrels store food for their kits, teaching them caching behavior.

Indian palm squirrels care for their kits for about 2-3 months before they become independent.

Do you want to feed them?
Well I had opportunity to feed them thrice, where they grabbed the nut from my hand and ran away.
They are scared to come in contact with humans, in some areas where the interaction in common like a tourist place, they can be easily fed by just showing them nuts in our hand. Initially they may hesitate, we need to stay calm and not scare them, once the trust is built , they quickly come and grab the nuts with their hand. In most places where the human interaction is less where they live freely, it’s difficult to build the trust. Where you can just keep the food in a plate or tray or just keep in open space, their keen eyes will notice and once the situation is felt safe for them, they come and have the food. They might start eating there itself or carry in their cheeks.

Adapting habits!
Urban areas we often see them feeding on everything, whatever the junk is left behind. Like bread, sweets, chocolates…anything . Does this indicate scarcity of heathy natural source of food? Can be yes in urban areas.