When it comes to squirrels, they’re typically thought of as cute and cuddly critters, right? But, the reality is, they’re actually omnivores, which means they can eat both plants and other animals. While it’s rare to see the fluffy rodents chowing down on a hunk of meat — as they primarily consume plant-based foods like nuts — they are occasionally known to devour insects, small rodents, eggs, and even birds. But how about snakes? Are they a normal part of a squirrel’s diet? Well, not exactly. But in rare cases, they have been known to consume snakes, especially if they’re desperate and hungry. Recently, a local was taking a walk on the beach in Crystal Cove State Park, California. Here, they managed to capture disturbing footage of a squirrel eating a live snake.
The two-and-a-half-minute snippet of video is recorded on the beach in Orange County, and sees a lone squirrel munching on a snake. Initially, it appears as if the snake is dead, but moments into the clip, the coiled serpent rears up its head and attempts to intimidate the squirrel by opening its maw and hissing at the hungry rodent. This doesn’t seem to perturb the squirrel too much, though, as the wee critter simply proceeds to house the snake like it’s its last meal. In the background, however, a peckish seagull can be seen watching on while the squirrel gets its calorie intake for the week.
According to the OP of the original thread on r/orangecounty, they wrote that they’ve “never seen anything like this especially on the beach.” Continuing on, the local added, “I just thought it was interesting and thought I’d share for educational/entertainment purposes. I also encourage everyone in OC to get out more and go to the beach. It’s what we are all paying for to live in this state! The good weather, the beach, the desert, the mountains. Go outside because you’ll never know what you’ll discover.”
Social media users, however, took to the comments to share their awe over the rare sighting. Some commenters were left wondering what species the actual snake was, with one expressing, “I’m guessing a gopher snake. Def not a rattlesnake.” though another shared a cool factoid: “Squirrels are resistant to rattlesnake venom but not immune.” Another, meanwhile, couldn’t resist mentioning the hungry seagull lurking in the background, penning, “The seagull just watching all of this go down like 😯”
While there are more than 280 species of squirrels worldwide, they can vary significantly in size. On average, though, squirrels can eat about a pound of food a week, which is roughly about half the weight of an average adult corn snake.
