People everywhere love the sweet taste of Nutella. However, experts everywhere recommend eating it in moderation as it is high in calories and sugar. We all know squirrels will eat anything, but can squirrels eat Nutella?
Can Squirrels Eat Nutella?
While not toxic to squirrels, it contains a high amount of sugar and can cause a squirrel to become overweight. Like us, a squirrel’s diet should consist of protein, fats, vitamins, calcium, and vitamins.
Whether you have a pet squirrel or feed the ones that visit your backyard, Nutella doesn’t make a good treat. Keep reading to find out why you shouldn’t add it to their diet.
What Is Nutella?
Nutella is a sweet hazelnut chocolate breakfast spread or dessert that people spread on bread, waffles, pancakes, etc. Though the spread contains some vitamins and minerals, it is high in calories, fat, and sugar.
Nutrients In Nutella
One serving of Nutella contains the following nutrients:
| Nutrients | Quantity |
| Iron | 1.6 mg |
| Total Fat | 11.0 grams |
| Sugars | 20.0 Grams |
| Choline | 6.5 mg |
| Calcium | 40.0 mg |
| Sodium | 15.2 mg |
| Folate | 5.2 mcg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.0 grams |
| Vitamin A | 1.1 IU |
| Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) | 1.8 mg |
| Potassium | 151 mg |
(source)
Just one serving of Nutella contains 20 grams of sugar and 11 grams of fat.
Will Squirrels Eat Nutella?
Yes, squirrels will eat Nutella, and they will probably love it.
Squirrels are opportunistic foragers, which means they will adjust their diet to the available foods in their surroundings. This is why you see squirrels in cities eating leftover trash from trash cans.
Their natural resources are limited, and in order to survive, they have to eat what they can find in trash cans, sidewalks, parks, etc. Some even rely on humans to feed them in parks or other public areas.
Do Squirrels Like Nutella?
Nutella has a sweet flavor that will entice a squirrel to want more. You’ve likely seen YouTube videos of squirrels stealing chocolate bars, candy, and other sweets. It’s because these opportunistic feeders will do anything to get their paws on food, even if it’s not good for them.
Some squirrel pet owners in this online forum believe that squirrels have a sweet tooth. While there’s no scientific evidence behind it, squirrels will naturally be attracted to Nutella because of the smell and taste.
Like us, squirrels have several taste buds in their mouth. So if they eat something, they like the taste of, they’ll keep coming back for more. If you feed them something like Safflower seeds, which they don’t like the taste. They won’t eat it, even if you put a big bowl on the ground for them to eat.
Is Nutella Safe for Squirrels?
Squirrels have a unique digestive system which makes it easy for them to eat poisonous mushrooms and not die. Nutella isn’t toxic or deadly for squirrels, but feeding them sweets isn’t ideal.
Feeding squirrels the wrong types of foods or too many sweets can lead to obesity. Veterinarian Dr. Greg Mertz has noticed an epidemic of obese squirrels that has become a problem due to humans feeding them the wrong foods or too much.
Just because a squirrel eats a particular food doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for them. If you feed squirrels in your backyard, it’s essential to provide them good nutrition.
Squirrels tend to thrive when they eat foods they find in their natural habitat. This includes berries, vegetables, plants, insects, bird’s eggs, fungi, nuts, etc.
If you have a feeder in your backyard, you want to feed them this wild squirrel food as it contains essential nutrients their bodies require.
What Are The Health Benefits of Nutella for Squirrels?
Nutella does contain small amounts of iron, calcium, and protein. It’s not enough to provide many health benefits for squirrels.
According to Avian Animal Hospital, a balanced diet for squirrels consists of minerals, protein, fat, vitamins, and a lot of calcium.
Nutella contains too much fat and sugars to provide any nutritional value.
Are There Any Negative Side Effects of Nutella for Squirrels?
Like us, if squirrels are fed Nutella or any other type of junk food regularly, their health can deteriorate. There are no known side effects to squirrels eating Nutella.
Nutella contains high amounts of fat and sugar, and over time this can lead to stomach ache, bloat, obesity, or just sick and unable to do anything but lay around.
Some pet squirrel owners have acknowledged their domestic squirrels becoming sick after eating certain foods. If a wild squirrel becomes ill from eating the wrong foods, its chance of survival drops.
These rodents have many predators that keep them on their toes. If they consume the wrong foods that cause them to gain weight or feel ill, they won’t have the energy to run away.
If something is not suitable for us, chances are it’s not good for squirrels.
Final Word
In conclusion, Nutella is not toxic to squirrels, and they will eat it and enjoy the sweet taste. It does not contain any health benefits for these furry rodents.
Feeding squirrels too many sweets can lead to obesity, making it more challenging for them to survive in the wild.
If you enjoy feeding wildlife, ensure you’re providing them with nutritious foods to help keep them healthy, especially during the cold winter months.
Squirrels will eat anything we give them, so it’s up to us to ensure we’re not hurting their chance of survival in the wild!
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