Last updated on October 9th, 2022
I was pretty surprised when I saw that chipmunks and squirrels are given a healthy helping of bananas and other fruits in the local zoo. A zookeeper entered the cage, peeled a banana, and held it out.
Soon a few chipmunks came and took some bites of the fruit! It got me wondering about the diet of chipmunks, and I decided to ask a few questions to the zookeeper, here’s why chipmunks eat bananas.
Chipmunks do eat bananas, especially ripe ones since they aren’t picky eaters. Bananas are an excellent source of energy for these animals and even though it has numerous health benefits for them, they should be fed in moderation.
Are bananas healthy for chipmunks?
Ripe bananas are rich in calcium, proteins, and minerals. Chipmunks need all of these to build robust immune systems.
But ripe bananas are known to be relatively high in calories; hence, you should be careful about the amount of fruit you give to your pet chipmunk.
It would help if you gave only moderate helpings of bananas to your pet chipmunk so that it can get the necessary nutrition without gaining any unnecessary weight.
Chipmunks can be given a healthy diet of vegetables and fruits, primarily when they are bred in captivity.
So, like in the zoo, if you have a pet chipmunk, you can easily give your freshly peeled banana.
The only thing you need to remember when you give your pet bananas is to ensure that the fruit is free of any pesticides.
It would help if you also washed the banana before you peeled it.
In the wild, chipmunks can eat bananas, but they are known to bite through the skin and then consume only the fruit’s flesh.
Do chipmunks eat banana peels?
Chipmunks do eat banana peels but they prefer the ones that are ripe because they’re soft, easy to chew, and digestible. However, it would be best if you wash it first just to ensure that any pesticides or harmful chemicals are removed.
Is it necessary to cut the banana into pieces when giving it to your pet chipmunk?
According to the zookeeper, chipmunks have sharp teeth and can easily bite into the flesh of a ripe banana.
But it is always a good idea to cut the banana and give your pet a few pieces of fruit.
The primary reason is that if you give the fruit whole, you will not be able to account for the amount of banana you have given to your pet.
As a result, it will become difficult for you to keep track of the calorie count. Therefore, it is best that you cut the banana into pieces and then give it to your pet.
Can chipmunks be given bananas to boost their energy?
The common notion is that sugar helps boost energy in your body, which is no different for animals.
For example, chipmunks are creatures that scamper around at great speed, so they need a significant amount of energy to make such fast movement possible.
To move at such speed, the common idea will be they need food containing high sugar. Hence, you can give bananas to chipmunks to help boost their energy levels.
Is it necessary to consult a veterinarian before giving bananas to a chipmunk?
Chipmunks need food that is high in sugar content. But always, this might not be true, as it can lead to other health issues in the creature.
Hence, you should consult a veterinarian about how much banana you can give your pet chipmunk to help boost its energy levels.
Unfortunately, bananas are pretty high in sugar content; hence the amount of fruit you can give to your pet must be limited, even though chipmunks need food with high sugar content to move fast.
Are chipmunks omnivores?
Chipmunks are omnivores.
This means chipmunks can survive on a plant-based diet. However, chipmunks are not known to eat leaves, so they do not like a foliage diet.
Therefore, when it needs to survive on an animal-based diet, it will eat food items like small birds, insects, worms, and bird eggs.
What is the favorite food of chipmunks?
Chipmunks love to eat nuts and seeds. In the wild, chipmunks love to collect nuts and seeds and hoard these in preparation for winter.
If you have a pet chipmunk, you can give it different nuts and seeds, provided these are organic and do not have any trace of pesticide.
Are chipmunks hoarders?
According to the website: Owlcation, chipmunks are known to hoard food for winter.
You will find that they carry the seeds or nuts in their mouth to the hole or the nest in the tree in preparation for winter.
The creature will not eat the nuts right away. Instead, it will store the nuts in suitable hideouts.
Sometimes chipmunks forget where they had hoarded the nuts, and you might find saplings sprouting from the most unusual locations in your garden.
If you check carefully, you might find that it is the hoarding of a chipmunk.
Can chipmunks eat different types of fruits?
Yes, you can give chipmunks different types of fruits.
Fruits are rich in minerals and proteins that are necessary for the creature to build strong bones and a healthy immune system.
Hence, you can give your pet chipmunk a healthy helping of fruits like grapes, plums, strawberries, and other similar fruits.
The only thing you need to remember when you give your pet chipmunk fruits is to deseed the fruit and cut it into small pieces so that it can devour the fruits.
Should you feed bananas to wild chipmunks?
Chipmunks remember human beings, and if you offer food to wild chipmunks, you will find that creatures will keep returning in the hope of more food.
The only thing you should remember when you offer food to wild chipmunks is to ensure that the fruits and vegetables are organic and completely pesticide-free.
You can offer nuts and seeds to wild chipmunks.
If you offer the chipmunks fruits or vegetables, ensure that you cut them into small pieces.
Are chipmunks particularly picky about the food they consume?
Chipmunks are not very picky about the food that they eat. They can eat anything from fungi to scarf grains, seeds, and nuts.
Hence, you will find that these creatures eat almost anything you give them.
Interested in learning more about what animals like bananas? Check out that article for more information.
