For the first time, I saw, photographed, and filmed a Fox Squirrel gnawing on a deer antler, and it was pretty exciting. The squirrel seemed to love it.
Adult Fox Squirrel gnawing on an antler – Canon R7, f8, 1/200, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
I knew that squirrels and mice chewed on antlers, but until I researched this behavior, I wasn’t aware that porcupines do as well. Even coyotes, rabbits, foxes, bears, opossums, and otters have been known to eat shed antlers.
Because antler sheds are important for healthy habitat, antler shed hunting is illegal in many places, and in other locations, it can only be done seasonally.
I also knew the reason why: it’s for the minerals found in the antlers, including calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
In addition, the teeth of mice, porcupines, and squirrels continue to grow throughout their lives, and chewing on antlers helps to wear them down.
Fox Squirrel chewing on a deer antler – Canon R7, f8, 1/400, ISO 640, +0.3 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
This Fox Squirrel was extremely focused on gnawing on the shed antler—so much so that I was able to take a nice, long series of images of him, along with a couple of videos too.
The first, longer video was, for all practical purposes, ruined by a loudly yelping dog down the road, right in the middle of the video. Fortunately, that wasn’t an issue with the second, shorter video that I created.
I found the squirrel’s behavior of chewing on the shed deer antlers fascinating, and I’m glad I was able to video and photograph it to share.
In nature, I seem find answers to questions I wasn’t even aware I had.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Fox Squirrel photos plus facts and information about this species.
Love that they know what is good for them and what they need. That was some enthusiastic gnawing…
Hi, Mia: I think we have discussed this before, but I have no way of finding the old thread and the system now tells me I have asked this question before. Can you email me how to Sign In and to what? Thanks.
Hi, Mia: I think we have discussed this before, but I have no way of finding the old thread. I would like to watch the video, but I get a message saying I need to sign in. Sign in to what? Onthewingphotography? Mia McPherson?
Margot, I believe it was sign into your Google/YouTube account. It has been a while but I think that worked for you last time?
Pretty neat! I like the gnawing sound in the video. I had a very weathered dear scull with the antlers still attached. The surface of the antlers had weathered off and the tips were broken. I used to have it in the yard, I had seen squirrels around the scull and had noticed gnaw marks on the bones. I thought it was the raccoons, but it makes sense the squirrels were eating it. I gave it to Haley, who gave it to a DNR law officer she works with. He really liked it. In Utah you have to have a shed permit, they are not hard to get. I used the skull for still life drawings and bumped it to the yard when we stopped doing art work.
Enjoyed the video especially. It is a circle, isn’t it?