You’ve always seen squirrels eating nuts, but what about drinking water. Have you ever seen a squirrel drinking water? Where do squirrels get freshwater especially in hot summer when they need water the most? And how much water they must consume in a day? And does it differs from squirrel to squirrel? Here I’ll answer all of those questions and everything you want to know about the connection between squirrel and water and is it like humans or not.
In a Hurry? Here’s Where Do Squirrels Get Fresh Water…
The answer is, squirrels get fresh water from the bird water feeder or bowls, taps mostly and from moist and from plants, fruits, insects, and vegetables directly. In wild, they get water from rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and standing water.
How Much Water Do Squirrels Need to Drink?
While every creature’s body contains water, (As 60% of human’s body) they will obviously need water to maintain it. That includes squirrels.
Depending on age, gender, season, and place where a creature lives, they will need a different amount of water. But in general, squirrels need 30ml to 60ml water which would be 3 teaspoons a day. But that’s not equal for all the squirrel’s varieties, conditions and seasons like a newly squirrel mom which feeds babies typically requires more water than a male one. It also differs from weather to weather, like in summer in Las Vegas, which gets very hot, they will need more water than Chicago, Illinois.
Where Do Squirrels Get Water In Summer?
Just like birds, squirrels are seed eaters, in fact, they consume bird feeder more than any food and get thirsty quickly. In the hot summer, (which is quite hot), eating seeds, squirrels get even thirstier. They would travel a couple of miles for food and so for water. That’s when they need water the most.
Squirrels get water from faucets or taps, bird water feeders, pools, fire hydrants, and in some cases, they use dirty water even sewer water. Different from cats and dogs, they don’t care where and how the water should be.
In fact, they do get water from wherever they find, no matter how clean or how dirty it is, they will simply use it. They also follow where do birds get water and will easily use that especially bird water feeder and their bathtub which primarily people place for birds.
If rains, water remains in some places for a few times like roads, holes, rocks and anywhere like that. So they get water from there, however, rains are not very likely in most places in summer, so that’s where they will get water from.
Where Do Squirrels Get Water In The Winter?
Squirrels do not hibernate like bears but they do sleep long hours in their den. They store corns, seeds, and nuts in a hole in fall and use it in the winter so they won’t have to go out for finding food in winter which is quite difficult. But what about water? Do they store and can they store water also?
The answer is, squirrels get water from snow and waterbird feeders which are warmed or heated by people. In most cold places and in the wild, they will use snow to warm it up a little bit and then drink it. However, it’s difficult to get water in the wild than city.
Other than that, they will get water from insects, wild fruits such as grapes, pears, oranges, bananas, and every food that’s available. They will also get water from vegetables. If you’ve a greenhouse, even if it’s small which you keep warm inside to save your plants from cold, it’s a great source of food for them and they will probably use it. It’s a nice easy way to get food and water both.
Aside from it, squirrels get water from a moist surface or where it has rained. While it rains frequently in winter, it leaves water on the trees, concentrates surfaces, in the holes, on the road, and on birdfeeder or bird water feeder, bowl and pots. With the rain stopped, squirrels will quickly run for the water and drink immediately, because not only water is available now, but it’s also warm and also the weather is warm then. That is an absolute source of water.
Unlike humans, squirrels have small sweat glands on their feet so they don’t lose much water from it but instead loses water from peeing, pooping (See when, where & how they poop) mating, and chasing each other. So they don’t need to drink water every day like birds. They will drink water and that is enough for a few days.
Where Do Squirrels Get Water In The Wild?
Similar to chipmunks, rabbits, and other rodents, they will use lakes, ponds, rivers, waterfalls, standing water, but also from plants, trees, fruits. While squirrels live among trees near the water, despite that, if the live somewhere where water isn’t near, they will use juicy plants like succulents. They will also use wild fruits like apples, berries, grapes. However, they will also use insects more often when they are in need of water which gives them a little water. In fact, they know all the plants, vegetables that contain the most water, so they will simply use that.
In winter, they will also use those water-filled fruits and plants and moist and also use snow as water. They will first warm snow and then use it as water.
Red & Flying Squirrels
While there is a bit difference between ground and red, flying and gray squirrel, there is no difference between how they get water. However, the amount of water they consume differs since gray squirrels are bigger than size, they will need more water. And since red and flying squirrels are smaller, they will need lesser water.
The only thing is red squirrels attract more sun, which will make it hotter, and, it may consume as much water as gray squirrel at maximum.
Squirrels are similar to birds, they are surfing around where they can find water, but usually, they find it within water bird feeder and plants, fruits, insects, and vegetables.
Where Do Baby Squirrels Get Water From?
Like any other animal, baby squirrels which are born up to 4 weeks use their mother’s milk and don’t need water at all because milk is already 87% water in which case instead the mother will need more water. After 4 weeks, when they will open their eyes, they will still feed by their mother and will drink milk up to 12 weeks old. Once they are older than 12 weeks, baby squirrels will leave the nest and will now be on their own to find food and water. They will do get water from the same places their parents get which is bird water feeder and bowls which are put for birds and from humidor from plants, fruits, insects, and vegetables itself. In wild, they get water from rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and standing water.
And in winter in the wild, they will get water from snow, bird water feeder, rain water, standing water. In fact, they will warm up the snow water and then use it.
Why Feed Water To Squirrels?
As squirrels are innocent animals, they need water during summer and winter whether in the city or in the wild. Just like you feed nuts and fruits, you can also feed water with a simple bowl of water putting into the yard.
In wild, you can help it by giving out your water a little bit in a bowl or in a plastic bottle.
But not many people are fans of feeding them. In fact, 12 News reports that in the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, you can’t feed water to squirrels or you will be fined $100. This came in after a couple fed water to squirrels.
The reason which they expressed was that squirrels can bite and transmit diseases, and also they can be dependent on humans. But the couple rejected to do so even after they were fined, told in an interview.
You can simply feed water to squirrels with a bowl in your yard in the morning (That’s when squirrels are active the most) and empty in the evening for not attracting other predators. In this way, you can help squirrels without getting any disease or being bitten which will not only help squirrels but also birds and other animals. It’s a humane act to do so and you can avoid dying of those innocent animals by just a little water.
Even if you want to get rid of them, despite that, it’s so cruel to let die an animal of thirst inhumanly.
Summary
Squirrels are little cute animals that need water just like any other rodent. They need about 3 teaspoons of water every day but that’s not enough for all squirrels. While gray squirrels are larger than other varieties, they will need more water than that. As well as female squirrels especially those who feed baby squirrels will need water the most.
Unlike some mammals, squirrels have small sweat glands under their feet which means they wouldn’t lose water from sweat. So where do they get water from? Squirrels do get water from the nearest and easiest point which would be bird water feeder or bowls, plants, fruits, insects, and vegetables, and anywhere else where water is available. That can be rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and standing water.
In winter, they use anything of those that are available. That can be fruits, vegetables, and even snow. They warm it up and then use it. You may feed them water despite they can be nuisance and you plant to shoot squirrels for some reason.
jill nerkowski and the grey squirrel population
Thank you.