Curling Tongue! How Do Squirrels Drink Water? (Photos + Videos)

While it’s obvious how birds drink water and where do they get water from (birdbaths), however, few people have seen squirrels drinking water. Maybe seen squirrel drinking water in a photo, which doesn’t really show how do they do it. Thus, how do squirrels drink water, where do they get fresh water, how often squirrels drink water, how much water they need, and a lot more. Here’s the straight answer.

The Straight Answer…

How squirrels drink water is sit down and move their head close to the water, turn out and dip its tongue into the water, and curl its tip of its tongue backward moving the water into his mouth constantly and quickly, just like lions, cats. However, drinking from a dish or bottle, it will stand on his two back legs, attach its mouth to the bottle and drink it slowly while holding the bottle with its paws.

Where squirrels get water is from the moisture and from dew and from fruits, plants, vegetables, birdbath, fountains, and plants root. In the wild, squirrels get water from the river, streams, lakes, ponds, and standing water.

However, like their eating habits, they are not picky about the water so their water resources aren’t limited to these only and they drink water wherever they come across. They do not really care about the cleanness of the water unless it is too dirty like mixed with mud. All squirrels require at least two times of water a day. 

What Do Squirrels Drink?

Like their wide range diets (that even includes chocolate), squirrels also drink more than water. Squirrels obviously drink water however, squirrels also drink and love to drink beers, beverages, alcohol, milk, and sugary drinks more than water. That includes, pepsi, coke, fanta, and any other sugary drinks that humans consume and love, including tea, but only sweet tea. But since they do not find these in nature except water so they mostly steal or snatch this from people, however, some people also feed them drinks curiously to know.

However, squirrels do also have an alcohol party. It starts with female wagging their tails to male squirrel and approaching him slowly expanding her tail with coquetry moving and waving her tail. When the male squirrels see this, it will immediately climb up on the hollow tree and invites her to the party room within the hollow. Then takes out the bottle of sugary alcohol and starts drinking one by one. However, it does not finish there and unconsciously they will run here and there and sometimes end up in the birdbath.

How Often Do Squirrels Drink Water?

More often than not, squirrels require at least two times of water a day on average. However, a mother squirrel feeding milk to the babies requires more water probably three to four times a day. In the winter, as squirrels sleep long hours like bears, they need water once only which they warm up snow and use as water. Baby squirrels do not need water and drink the milk of her mother which is 87% water.

How Much Water Do Squirrels Need To Drink?

Without saying, squirrels need to drink water, however, eating nuts, seeds, popcorn which are warm and make thirsty, they need much water. However, since squirrels have small sweat glands on their feet, they don’t lose much water. But they lose water peeing pooping (Here’s how they do and how it looks like), and foraging for food.

While it mostly depends on the temperature, on average, squirrels need 30ml to 60ml water a day. However, in summer when it gets too hot, squirrels need more water than usual and would drink at the maximum point which is 60ml. As well as, a mother squirrel feeding milk to the babies increases up to 70ml a day.

How Do Squirrels Drink Water?

Squirrels drinking water isn’t unique. All they do is sit down and move their head close to the water, turn out and dip its tongue into the water, and curl its tip of its tongue backward moving the water into his mouth constantly and quickly, just like lions, cats. Despite that, they can also drink from bowl, straw, bottle, and even shovel. Drinking from a bottle, they will stand, hold the water bottle with its two paws, and moving the bottle up and drinking just like us.

Here’s a squirrel drinking water from a bowl. It makes little water sound but not high as other sounds they make. However, they may fight with each other over the source of water and chase each other to move him out of here as it will be a territory like prairie dogs.

Where Do Squirrels Get Water?

There is no set place where squirrel drinks water, and they drink wherever they get water that are mostly from the birdbath, pet and bird feeder that includes water, standing water on the road, from moisten, dews and leaves, plants, fruits like mushrooms, vegetables itself. In the wild, they get water from the river, streams, lakes, ponds, and standing water in the wild.

In the hot summer when waters are short, people also feed squirrels with bottles of water like in the Grand Canyon Park which is not allowed. They also follow birds from where they food and water from, and when they find it, they will simply use and drink water from. That can be in the middle of the road which they will run in front of the cars and stop in the middle of the road.

Unlike cows and humans which drinks pushing water into their mouth, squirrels drink water move their head close to the water, turn out and dip its tongue into the water, and curl its tip of its tongue backward moving the water into his mouth.

How Long Can Squirrels Live Without Water?

Beside food, squirrels can’t live out water and can survive without water for 4 – 5 days. In the hot summer, this period is even sooner and they can’t survive more than that.

Do Squirrels Drink Water From A Bowl?

When squirrels become thirsty, they will travel and search everywhere they can like searching for food. However, squirrels will drink from anywhere they get water including from the bowl. It is no different than drinking from the birdbaths that they often drink water in the city.

Putting a bowl of water outside especially in the summer will really help squirrels when water is short and they need water more than food. If you’ve a birdbath already, then there’s no need to put it up. However, if you do not happen to have one, you can place a bowl outside like the video when squirrels are most active but remember to empty it before dawn that will also attract and provide a solid water resource for its predator like raccoons that eats squirrels.

What Do Baby Squirrels Drink?

From birth to 10 weeks, squirrel’s baby drink milk from her mother instead of water, like whales breastfeeds their baby. And after that, they will drink water from outside wherever her mother gets water from. That is moisture and from dew and from fruits, plants, vegetables, birdbath, fountains, and plants root and wherever they get water from.

Should You Put Water For Squirrels?

In summer when it becomes too hot, it’s quite helpful and humane to put a bowl of water outside. If you have a birdbath, no need to do it. If you don’t, you may put some water out which will help not only squirrels but also birds and other small animals. Squirrels are adorable rodents and also a food chain that helps its predators and even humans who hunt and eat squirrels. However, it’s too cruel to let this adorable rodent let die due to lack of water.

FAQ

Q: Do Squirrels Drink Water?

Yes, squirrels not only drink water but also drink beers, beverages, cold drinks, and any other sugary drinks.

Q: What Kind of Water Do Squirrels Drink?

Squirrels drink any water they come across and they don’t care about the cleanness of the water unless it is too dirty.