If you have been looking around at scenery lately and noticed that the squirrels seem a little chubby–well, that isn’t your imagination. In general, squirrels are getting fatter because of “exceptionally mild winters”, according to a recent article on iflscience.com.  As long as there are nuts and seeds, or any food for that matter, accessible to squirrels, they are going to eat them.

So, the next time you do a double-take at an obese squirrel, you can blame Mother Nature for them packing on the pounds.  Although, as the article states, their winter coat adds to their tubby appearance, too.

Check out these fat squirrel pics:

(photo via furlined.deviantart.com)

(photo via reddit)

(by Phil Dragash)

(photo via buzzfeed.com)

(photo via dailymail.co.uk)

(photo via deviantart.com)

(Feature photo via alexkimmell.wordpress.com)