Many animals eat oranges. And many enjoy eating them. But some could be named as the greatest admirers of oranges. Those are mainly frugivores, animals that eat primarily or totally a fruit diet.

Some animals love oranges so much that they are considered a pest of orange plants and are not loved by farmers. While other animals are not frugivores but do love a juicy orange. A lot of mammals eat oranges, but some bird species too. And together we are going to find out what animals eat oranges.

Animals that eat oranges:

• Squirrel monkeys
• Tamarins
• Red-bellied woodpeckers
• Northern mockingbirds
• Squirrels
• Raccoons
• Black rats

What Animals Eat Oranges?

Squirrel Monkeys

Scientific Name: Simia sciurea

Class: Mammalia

Squirrel monkeys are native and can be found in the tropical forests of South and Central America, and there are five total recognized species. They are omnivores, and they primarily eat fruits and insects. And they can eat a lot of oranges.

Did You Know: Squirrel monkeys are considered one of the most intelligent monkeys because their brains are much larger than other monkeys that are the same size.

Squirrel monkeys are tiny, and the biggest ones can only weigh up to a kilo. They can grow up to 35 centimeters, but their tails can have an additional 40 centimeters.

Tamarins

Scientific Name: Saguinus ursulus

Class: Mammalia

Tamarins are tiny monkeys that you can compare to a squirrel. They are omnivores meaning they eat a lot of fruits, other plants, insects, and even bird eggs. They can always eat oranges when it comes to fruits; sometimes, they can be bigger than them.

Did You Know: Tamarin is great at jumping, and they can jump up to 18m from tree to ground without injuring themselves.

The physical appearance of tamarins depends on the species, but they can be all black and colorful with red bellies, brown, and white. Tamarins have specific and interesting facial hair that looks like a funny mustache. They can weigh up to only 500 grams.

Related: List of Fish-Eating Animals

Red-bellied Woodpeckers

Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus

Class: Aves

Interestingly, many birds like to eat oranges, and one of them is a true orange lover, and that is a red-bellied woodpecker. It’s called red-bellied, but the part that has the reddest color on the body of a woodpecker is its head, not the belly.

If you want to see this type of woodpecker, you’ll need to visit the United States, precisely the eastern part.

Did You Know: Red-bellied woodpeckers love to be prepared, and they will often hide their foods in tiny holes they’ve made in trees.

Woodpeckers are known for their drumming, and they even do it to attract mates. They also produce different sounds and are known to be noisy birds.

Northern Mockingbirds

Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos

Class: Aves

Northern Mockingbirds are fascinating birds that you can find all around North America, but they do move south when the weather is cold and harsh. They are omnivores, and they eat fruits and insects. And yes, they enjoy eating juicy oranges.

Did You Know: The Northern Mockingbird is known to mimic and sing over 200 songs of birds, other animals, and insects. They can even mimic the sound of mechanical machines.

The Northern Mockingbird is small and has brownish and greyish feathers, with a paler belly. They also have white patches of feathers on their wings that can be seen in flight.

Squirrels

Scientific Name: Sciuridae

Class: Mammalia

Squirrels are small to medium size mammals that belong to the rodent animal order. These tree-climbing creatures live on every continent except for Antarctica and Australia.

Did You Know: Squirrels commonly store their food, which they use during the winter, or when they face food scarcity.

These bushy-tailed creatures are not picky when it comes to food. They are omnivores who eat just about anything they can locate. From flowers, fungi, seeds, roots, insects, to small mammals, and even birds and other squirrels

However, squirrels like supplementing their diet with sugary products; as a result, they adore eating oranges.

Read Also: Animals That Eat Bamboo

Raccoons

Scientific Name: Procyon lotor

Class: Mammalia

The raccoon is a widely widespread animal found throughout North America. Characterized by their face masks that perfectly match their thieving characteristics, raccoons are unique creatures.

They are true opportunistic feeders, and they eat a wide range of food. Nuts, fruits, eggs, insects, and crayfish are their most common meals; however, they will often find some food in the nearest trash cans.

Did You Know: Raccoons are very adaptable creatures that have been roaming the earth for more than 40,000 years.

Raccoons love oranges. And like a person would, raccoons use their claws to peel the orange. So in case, you find peel evidence on the ground of your backyard, your first suspect should be a raccoon.

Raccoons are well known pests, as besides eating and destroying fruit plants, they also dig up the soil and damage the yard.

Related: Animals That Eat Strawberries

Black Rats

Scientific Name: Rattus rattus

Class: Mammalia

This type of rat is also known as a roof rat or a ship rat. But you’ve primarily heard people call it the house rat for obvious reasons. This type of rodent originated in the Indian subcontinent, but people worldwide can find them in or around their houses.

Black rats are omnivores, and they can eat anything; that’s why many consider them pests, especially farmers. They love to eat oranges, and they can cause significant problems for orange tree farmers.

Did You Know: In most countries around the world, people don’t like rats and consider them pests, but in some parts of India, they are considered sacred.

It’s called black due to the dark colors of its fur, but you’ll mostly encounter dark brown to light brown rats. Depending on the subspecies, they can be smaller or larger.

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