When we think of nuts, squirrels usually come to mind first. But they’re far from the only animals that enjoy these nutrient-rich snacks.
From birds to bears, many species rely on nuts for protein, fat, and energy, especially during colder months or migration. Nuts also play an important role in ecosystems, helping animals survive while spreading seeds that grow into new trees.
This article is for general information only and comes from online sources. Diets vary by species, habitat, and season.
1. Chipmunks
Those adorable striped cheeks aren’t just for show! Chipmunks can stuff up to nine acorns in their expandable pouches at once. These industrious little creatures collect and store thousands of nuts each autumn, creating elaborate underground pantries with different chambers for various food types.
Unlike squirrels who forget many of their hiding spots, chipmunks create organized caches and remember them with impressive accuracy. Their nut-storing behavior helps forest regeneration when some buried treasures are forgotten and eventually sprout into new trees.
2. Blue Jays
Sporting brilliant blue plumage, these noisy birds have a particular fondness for acorns. A single blue jay can transport and bury up to 5,000 acorns in a single season. They use their strong bills to hammer open nuts or soften them in water before eating.
What makes blue jays remarkable is their extraordinary spatial memory. They remember thousands of hiding spots across their territory. The acorns they forget effectively become planted oak trees, making these birds essential forest regenerators across North America.
3. Woodpeckers
Acorn woodpeckers take nut storage to artistic levels. These remarkable birds drill thousands of perfectly sized holes in dead trees or wooden structures, creating what scientists call ‘granaries.’ Each hole precisely fits a single acorn, sometimes containing up to 50,000 nuts in a single tree!
Family groups work together to maintain these impressive pantries, regularly checking nuts for freshness and replacing spoiled ones. Their specialized tongues can extract insects from nuts, providing an additional protein source. Some woodpecker granaries have been continuously used and maintained for generations.
4. Bears
Before their winter slumber, black bears become nut-seeking machines. A single bear can consume up to 20,000 calories daily during fall, with nuts forming a significant part of this caloric intake. Their powerful jaws make quick work of hard shells that would challenge smaller animals.
Bears particularly love beechnuts, hazelnuts, and acorns, which provide the dense nutrition needed to build fat reserves. Unlike some nut-eaters who hoard their treasures, bears practice ‘eat as you go,’ consuming massive quantities on the spot. This high-fat diet helps them survive months of hibernation without eating.
5. Wild Boars
Armed with powerful snouts and an excellent sense of smell, wild boars are nature’s bulldozers. Their rooting behavior can turn acres of forest floor upside down as they search for buried nuts. A group of foraging boars can detect acorns hidden under 10 centimeters of soil.
These omnivorous mammals consume vast quantities of nuts, especially acorns and beechnuts, during the fall ‘mast’ season. Their dietary preference creates a fascinating ecological relationship with oak trees. Years with abundant acorn production often lead to higher wild boar reproduction rates the following spring.
6. Mice
Don’t let their diminutive size fool you. Mice are serious nut connoisseurs. White-footed and deer mice collect nuts with remarkable determination, sometimes traveling hundreds of meters to find prime specimens. Their tiny front paws manipulate nuts with surprising dexterity, allowing them to extract the nutritious kernels.
Unlike larger mammals, mice must gnaw through shells using their ever-growing incisors. They create elaborate underground caches, sometimes stealing from other animals’ stores. A single mouse might collect hundreds of nuts for winter, often more than they can actually consume, inadvertently planting trees when forgotten caches sprout.
7. Raccoons
Those famous ‘bandit masks’ hide the face of a nut-loving opportunist. Raccoons possess remarkably sensitive front paws with five long fingers that can manipulate nuts with almost human-like dexterity. They’ll often dunk nuts in water before eating, a behavior that gave rise to their scientific name, Procyon lotor, meaning ‘washer.’
Walnuts, pecans, and acorns rank among raccoons’ favorite autumn treats. Their omnivorous diet shifts seasonally, with nuts becoming increasingly important as winter approaches. Unlike some animals that hoard nuts, raccoons generally consume them immediately, using their sharp molars to crack even the toughest shells.
8. Deer
White-tailed deer develop a special relationship with oak trees during autumn. These graceful browsers can detect acorns from impressive distances and may travel miles to reach productive oak groves. A deer’s diet can consist of up to 50% acorns during peak fall months.
Unlike many nut-eaters, deer lack upper front teeth. They gather acorns using their mobile lips and tongue, then crush them using specialized molars. Researchers have discovered that deer can distinguish between different oak species, often preferring sweeter white oak acorns over more bitter red oak varieties. This nutritional boost helps them build fat reserves before winter.
9. Monkeys
Some monkey species have elevated nut consumption to an art form. Capuchin monkeys in Brazil place nuts on stone ‘anvils’ and crack them open using stone ‘hammers’, one of the most sophisticated examples of tool use in the animal kingdom. This behavior is culturally transmitted, with young monkeys learning by watching their elders.
Macaques display remarkable patience when processing tough nuts, using precise hand movements to rotate and position them for optimal cracking. Certain species even possess specialized teeth adaptations for nut-eating. Their nut-cracking skills develop over years, with older monkeys demonstrating greater efficiency and success rates.
10. Parrots
Those magnificent curved beaks aren’t just for show! Parrots possess one of nature’s most effective nut-cracking tools. A hyacinth macaw can exert over 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch with its beak, enough to crack even the rock-hard shells of Brazil nuts that would defeat most other animals.
What’s fascinating is how parrots use their tongues and feet in combination with their beaks. They’ll hold nuts with one foot while precisely positioning them in their beak. Some species even rotate nuts to find structural weaknesses before applying pressure. Their remarkable dexterity allows them to extract nutmeats whole, minimizing waste.
