Chestnuts are delicious, nutritious, and full of fiber, but do badgers eat chestnuts?
If you have observed the movement of badgers closely, you will find that they are always looking for food on the ground.
I was under the impression that they eat earthworms, eggs, rodents, and other similar food.
However, I recently saw a video of badgers looking for nuts beneath chestnut trees. It surprised me because I did not know that badgers like to eat nuts.
So, I decided to visit the local zoo and ask the zookeeper about the eating habits of badgers, and here is what I learned.
Do badgers like to eat chestnuts?
Badgers are omnivores which means they can eat both plant and animal-based food. Badgers love to eat berries and fruits when it comes to plant-based food.
However, if they come across nuts like chestnuts, they will eat these with absolute joy and sweet chestnuts are a favorite of badgers.
Once these nuts come out of the spiky shells and fall to the ground, they quickly access food for badgers.
Can baby badgers eat chestnuts?
You shouldn’t offer chestnuts to baby badgers. The primary reason is that nuts can be quite hard, and the teeth and jaws of a baby badger are not entirely formed to properly chew the nuts.
As a result, you might find that the baby badger cannot eat the nut; in rare cases, it can even choke on it.
Therefore, you should avoid giving chestnuts to a baby badger and provide food that a veterinarian approves.
How do badgers eat chestnuts?
If you are thinking about the hard red-brown colored outer shell of the chestnut, you can be assured that these do not stand any chance against the sharp claws of badgers.
They can easily peel the outer shell of the nut to access the sweet nut inside.
They also use their sharp teeth to bite into the chestnut, peel off the skin, and access the nut inside.
Are there any particular species of badger that like to eat chestnuts?
All species of badgers can eat chestnuts. The primary reason for this is the creature is known to eat different types of food, and they are known to be both scavengers and hunters.
While badgers don’t go out searching for chestnuts, they will consume these when other sources of food become unavailable.
Are chestnuts healthy for badgers?
Chestnuts are rich in antioxidants and minerals, which badgers need to build strong bones and healthy immune systems.
Hence, you will often find that badgers bred in captivity are sometimes given different nuts along with their regular food.
However, among these nuts, chestnuts often feature as the main one. This is because the potassium and magnesium in the chestnuts can help the badgers bred in captivity become strong and healthy.
Can you attract badgers to your garden with the help of chestnuts?
You can use chestnuts to attract badgers to your garden, but these alone will not attract them.
Badgers prefer to eat insects, snails, rodents, and other such creatures. They also eat fruits and berries.
So if you want to attract badgers to your garden with nuts, you need to include chestnuts and other nuts like acorns or unsalted peanuts.
Do you need to be careful when you give chestnuts to badgers?
When you offer chestnuts to badgers, you need to ensure that the nuts are completely organic.
The chestnuts should not have any trace of preservatives as these chemicals can prove to be dangerous for the creature.
Similarly, if the chestnuts have any trace of insecticide or pesticide, it can cause the creature to go into a toxic shock.
Hence, you should check where you have acquired the chestnuts and ensure that these are entirely organic.
There are other animals that eat chestnuts and you can read about them over there to learn more.