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This winter is so hot Canada's squirrels are getting fat

The very hot winter of 2015 is having some unexpected consequences: squirrels are getting fat. The winter season for overindulgence has come and passed, but for these little critters in North America and Europe, it left behind a big mark. The mild climate of this winter meant that trees had lots of seeds and nuts, […]

Mihai Andrei
January 12, 2016 @ 11:09 am

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The very hot winter of 2015 is having some unexpected consequences: squirrels are getting fat.

photo credit: @inventor_Artist/Twitter

The winter season for overindulgence has come and passed, but for these little critters in North America and Europe, it left behind a big mark. The mild climate of this winter meant that trees had lots of seeds and nuts, and squirrels took advantage of this to bulk up.


Squirrels cannot digest cellulose, so they must rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats – which they get from seeds and nuts.

However, their new shape likely won’t last much: the end of the winter and beginning of spring is the roughest period for them, as buried nuts begin to sprout and are no longer available for the squirrel to eat, and new food sources have not become available yet.

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