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It’s not just humans who enjoy Halloween! Animals love the holidays, and the main reason for that is the delicious fruit we use for anything from decoration to desserts.
What animals eat pumpkins is a great question! So many creatures love to feast on this fantastic and nutritious fruit, especially on the sweet pulp of the pumpkin and the rich protein seeds.
In this article, you will find out some of the most popular animals that also love to eat pumpkins.
So, if you are curious about who they are, read on!
List of Animals That Eat Pumpkins
Rabbits
Scientific Name: Oryctolagus cuniculus
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
These cute little animals are one species that enjoy feeding on pumpkins. It does not matter if it is a wild rabbit or a pet. They will love the sweet flesh of the fruit.
If you wonder whether to give it to them or how much, here is the answer! A standard rabbit can easily enjoy a pumpkin, but you have to be very careful what you give them.
The soft sugary flesh of the fruit and the leaves are delicate and can be easily fed to rabbits. However, you have to be careful about the guts and the seeds as they are hard to digest, and the bunny can check on them.
Aside from that, pay attention to how much pumpkin they eat, as they are wrong with sugars, and getting too much of this sweet fruit will be bad for their health.
When feeding any rabbit pumpkin, make sure it is not cooked. If you have decided to give them something processed, you may seriously cause them digestive problems. That is why they keep their food raw, and if you cook the fruit, better make it in a pumpkin pie.
Foxes
Scientific Name: Vulpes
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Foxes are omnivorous animals that often prefer to feast on meat. That, however, does not mean that they do not eat fruits or veggies.
With that being said, you can assume that they also enjoy some sweets from time to time – pumpkins.
When it comes to how they eat it, we can say that they focus on the sugary meat of the pumpkin. They do not eat the rind or the seeds, guts, or leaves.
With that being said, it is not uncommon for them to eat on a cracked pumpkin they find or the people to throw out some Halloween leftovers.
If, by chance, you keep a pet fox or have one frequently visiting your backyard and have decided to feed it some pumpkin. It is essential to remember that enormous quantities will upset their stomachs. That is why you should keep the amount you provide them to that of a cup or a small bowel.
In addition, it will be a good idea to clean the fruit beforehand. Get rid of the unnecessary parts that the animal obviously will not eat. In some cases, you can even boil the pumpkin for a bit (without adding anything additional).
Mice
Scientific Name: Mus musculus
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Mice are one of these animals that will eat anything they can find appetizing, and pumpkins are something they will munch on.
When it comes to eating the fruit, the rodents prefer the tender parts of the inside. They will rarely feast on the rind and focus on the soft flesh and the pumpkin seeds ( especially if there are cracked ones).
That being said, feeding your pet rat or mice some raw pumpkin flesh and seeds is fine. But, suppose you wonder about the ones in the wild. Well, they are a different story.
If mice in the wild find out you have an unguarded pumpkin garden, they will likely try to numb some of the fruits.
It is a common problem with some farmers and gardeners as these little animals bite on multiple pumpkins to get what they want and leave a ruined fruit. This is also why many people take precautions against them ( positioning a cat in the field).
The best advice you can get is for your pet – give it pumpkin in a moderate quantity. For the wild ones, if they pester your garden – owls, repellents, or cats – pick a choice, and good luck!
Squirrels
Scientific Name: Sciuridae
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Similar to mice and other rodents, squirrels can eat pumpkins. So if you happen to have a split-over, well-ripened pumpkin in your garden, be sure that a passerby squirrel will find it and take a bite.
If you wonder which is their favorite part, the answer may surprise you! No part of the pumpkin is toxic for squirrels, or they will not eat it. Instead, they will munch on almost anything but still have their preferences.
For example, if you throw the rind, aka the pumpkin’s skin, outside the backyard, it will not be a surprise to see a squirrel munching on it.
They also eat the brain where the seeds are, the sweet flesh, the stem, leaves, ribs, and even the vines of the fruit. These small animals will eat their fill of the fruit!
While these creatures love and can eat pumpkin every day, it is essential to note that it is not to feed them the fruit often. Like with the previous animals, that is because too many vitamins or food is never good for them.
Secondly, if you provide them with only pumpkin, they will not look for other food, which will lead to a lack of other nutrients they need and will harden their lives. It is good to give them a treat if you want, but do not overdo it!
Read Also: List of Animals That Eat Corn
Deer
Scientific Name: Cervidae
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Another great animal that loves eating pumpkins is the deer. Deer actually adore this fruit; they will feast on them and have no problem cracking one and eating the whole fruit as they can eat all parts of it, from the leaves to the guts.
The favorite part of the fruit is precisely the guts. Deer love it, and it is full of vitamins and suitable for their health.
The other factors are also something they will not pass on, especially if the fruit has flowers – they like them!
If you have excessive pumpkins or want to throw some leftovers, give them to the animal! They will be happy to have them.
Have you decided to feed some pumpkins to these cute animals? If so, there are a few things to keep in mind when doing it!
First, it is essential to start by cracking this nutritious fruit and splitting it open. Then, while cutting the fruit is already good enough, we suggest you leave the stem and the leaves partially to the fruit so the deer can use them to smash the fruit on the ground and help themselves further.
It is important to note that overdoing the feeding part will not be favorable for their health, similar to the previous animals!
Read Also: Animals That Eat Nuts
Chickens
Scientific Name: Gallus gallus domesticus
Type of Animal: Bird
Diet: Omnivore
What can we say here? Chickens are animals that will eat almost anything you give them, even some of your food leftovers. So giving them some fresh and pleasant pumpkins will only make them happy.
These birds can eat any part of the fruit as long as they wait. They can digest both the leaves and the skin of the pumpkin, enjoy the seeds, and especially love to pick on the mushy pulp of the fruit.
Giving your chicken some of this fantastic fruit is beneficial because of the vitamins and precious nutrients like calcium or protein ( from the seeds).
Suppose you have decided to feed your chicken some fruit. The best way you can do it is by helping them cut the pumpkin’s flesh.
Dicing the fruit will make it easier for the animals. They will not fight over it and will enjoy their filling.
A small tip here is that for chicken that often needs additional vitamins and supplements, you can easily cut the pumpkin, and this way, feed them to the birds.
In Summary – What Animals Eat Pumpkins?
Many wild and domestic animals can eat pumpkins, from chickens and rabbits to squirrels, deer, and foxes. This fruit is highly nutritious in protein, calcium, and many vitamins, and on top of that, it has this sweet flavor to it, which makes the animals love it.
The important thing is to note how you feed these animals. Please do not give them too much, and stick with our suggestions where they are pointed out! If you do not do so, you may create unfavorable conditions for the creature’s health!
Thank you for reading!
If you liked this type of post, here’s a recommendation of another popular read: Frugivore Animals
Further Reading:
https://www.livescience.com/28182-squirrels.html
https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu/deer-diet.php
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/08/what-foxes-eat/
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/what-do-chickens-eat/