Pine cones are coniferous trees that you can found frequently in Europe, Asia, and North America. However, for humans, these pine cones are edible, but for squirrels and woodpeckers like them the most to eat. But what about raccoons? Do raccoons eat pine cones? Let’s dig into it.
As, raccoons are natural foragers, that’s why finding that either they can eat pine cones or not will be interesting. But, raccoons are not interesting in pine cones to eat as they don’t consider it a portion of food for them.
However, many animals like squirrels and woodpeckers love to eat pine cones. As for them, pine cones are the best source of several essential nutrients and minerals. However, for raccoons’ pine cones don’t pose any threat, but raccoons don’t consider them as their food.
However, if you are curious to know about raccoons eating pine cones fact then navigate this article. As in this article, I’m going to explore it. So let’s start.
Do Raccoons Eat Pine Cones?
Raccoons are well known due to their eating habits. As they are on the list of opportunistic omnivores animals and can eat both plant and animal based matter. Not only this, they can eat food after scavenging your trash.
But pine cones are one of those foods that are on the list that raccoons don’t bother to eat. And if you offer them to eat pine cones, then they just sniff them and move on without eating them.
However, pine cones are the food of few animals like squirrels and woodpeckers. Moreover, squirrels don’t like to eat whole pine cones, but they like to eat their seeds and used to throw their shells. Furthermore, squirrels used to store pine cones so that they could eat when there was no more food to eat.
However, pine cones are rich in essential nutrients and minerals. As they are a good source of vitamins like vitamin B, k, magnesium, proteins etc.
Read also: Can Squirrels Eat Chocolate ?
What Animals Eat Pine Cones?
Pine cones are the potential food source for many animals in nature. So let’s have a detailed look at it.
Squirrels:
For squirrel’s pine cones are not a portion of healthy food but also a portion of food during their needy hours. Because they used to store that pine cones for the winter times when there was less food.
And for that, they tear the unripe or green pine cones from the centre so that they cannot start growing when they bury them in the ground. And in this way, they can collect their food for the winter season when there are fewer food sources.
Birds:
However, birds can eat a variety of food even including pine cones. As not only they can eat seeds, fruits, and other foods, but they can eat pine cones as well. For example, birds like woodpeckers, crossbills, etc., like to eat pine cones.
What Do Raccoons Eat?
However, raccoons are on the list of those animals that are picky about their food. As they are opportunistic omnivores, they eat plant matter as their primary food but used to eat meat as well when it is easily available to them.
Now, let’s have a detailed look on the fact at what they like to eat and what they are used to eat the most.
However, raccoons like to live around a water body the most because they catch and eat clams, crayfish, frogs, snails, and fish. But they can also eat insects, slugs, birds and their eggs. Not only this but raccoons are also use to catch and eat rodents. Furthermore, they can scavenge food from your trash as well.
A Final Thought:
In conclusion, if you wonder about do raccoons eat pine cones? Then the answer is no. Because raccoons don’t consider it as their food source. Moreover, they don’t use to eat it even when there is a shortage of food.
However, as raccoons are used to eat almost everything that they get, that’s why people may think that can they eat pine cones as well. But unfortunately, pine cones are on the list of that food that raccoons don’t consider eating.
However, pine cones are favorite to many animals and birds like squirrels and woodpeckers.