Red squirrels in Cairngorms National Park, Highlands, Scotland

© Scotland: The Big Picture/Minden Picture

Wee mascots for today's feast. Happy Thanksgiving

For this food-centric holiday, we're featuring two small but prodigious eaters, a pair of Eurasian red squirrels. These cheerful omnivores dine on the rich menu of available offerings in the forests of the UK, primarily Scotland, where our friends today were photographed noshing.

Red squirrels eat nuts, fruit, flowers, bulbs, birds' eggs, insects, and more. They'll feast on deer antlers for a calcium boost, too. But their favorite dish? Seeds of conifer trees. It's estimated that one squirrel consumes seeds from about 20,000 cones each year. That's a lot for a creature who weighs in at just over half a pound.