Can wild squirrels eat salted peanuts?
Answer Dear Kat Thank you for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites I used. Squirrels are able to eat salted peanuts, but the salt can seriously damage their health, due to increasing the heart rate, and can contribute to an early death (http://www.squirrels.org/faq.html#Q5). You should not feed salted peanuts to squirrels. http://home.wi.rr.com/frettchen/BACKYARD%20SQUIRREL%20FEEDING%20TIPS.htm and http://www.gottshall.com/squirrels/ say that raw peanuts contain a mould that is toxic to squirrels. Various websites agree with the information above – do not give squirrels raw or salted peanuts, although people at http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=296 suggest giving unsalted, roasted peanut. One site says that it is better for a squirrel to have a varied diet and not to rely on peanuts. I hope this helps.