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What is a rodent’s natural diet?



Difference Between Wild Rodents and Pet Rodents
When people ask about the difference between wild rodents and pet rodents, it is important to point out that there is a huge difference between a pet rodent’s diet and a wild rodent’s diet.

The diet of a pet rodent is carefully chosen by its human owner while wild rodents are on their own in finding food. This is why wild rodents eat everything that comes their way, they are not too picky when it comes to food, unlike pet rodents. Because they aren’t picky eaters, wild rodents sometimes suffer from nutritional deficiencies and that is why they invade people’s homes in search of quality food.

Feeding Behavior
We can classify wild rodents as opportunistic omnivorous eaters. This means that wild rodents will eat whatever comes their way. In most cases, a wild rodent’s diet consists of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. However, these mammals will eat everything that they find edible.

Although wild rodents prefer to eat whatever they find, they will sometimes hunt for bugs and some other small animals. Wild rodents that live in urban areas or near urban areas will anything they find in landfills and trash cans.

Finding Food
Wild rodents are food hoarders. That means they will usually take more food than they can eat. Wild rodents gather food so they can hold on to it when the times get hard. Many wild rodents will eat only a small amount of food they find, but they will bring the rest of the food they found to the area where they live. Wild rodents only forage for food during the nighttime so they can stay hidden from predators that could kill them.

Trying It Out
Wild rodents are careful eaters. These animals are aware that they won’t find the same type of food every day in the wild so they need to try out new foods. However, wild rodents are careful when it comes to trying out new foods.

These animals stay away from new foods that could possibly make them sick. Wild rodents usually sample every food before they eat it to make sure it won’t make them sick or make them vomit.

Getting Enough Nutrients
One disgusting fact about the diet of wild rodents is that they sometimes eat their own poop to get enough nutrients, such as folic acid and Vitamin K.

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