Wild Foods Chart?

[modernpets]

I was thinking to myself, it would be so nice if I could find a chart (much like the food chart posted by 4sqwerlz) regarding Wild Foods with pictures and descriptions of the plant it came off of to help people find these foods in the wild. Is there one around? If not I'm making one, lol!!!

[modernpets]

Here is a list I've compiled together from looking at posts on TSB & research. I plan on adding more while I do research.

I'd like to get specifics like a specific type of tree and what can be eated off of that, or a specific type of fungi.

Add more if you can think of any. I put things into catagories. If anyone thinks it would be easier to use less or more catagories let me know!


Wild Foods for Squirrels, Flying Squirrels & Chipmunks
Keeping in mind not to use anything treated with chemicals/fertilizer or dyed florest flowers.

Trees
acorns
pine cones
maple seeds (maple tree helicopter things)

Plants
wild rose hips
dandelion greens
lambsquarters
purslane
plantain

Fungi/Lichens
mushrooms

Flowers:
gardenias
carnations
roses
hibiscus
hydrangeas
chrysanthemums
magnolia cones

Berries

Insects
butterflies
moths

[TinyPaws]

Berries....Blueberries, strawberries, raspberry, blackberry, cranberry.

Insects...grubs, mealworms, mealworm puba, cicadas.

Lichen...moss and fungi on the tree trunks at bottom of trees.(not sprayed or treated)

[Anne]

Insects: silkworms

[digiandchipper]

:thumbsup great idea! Pics would be great, especially of the odd stuff, like beauty berries and other stuff I can't identify that I see wilds eating:D

[Mookie's Mom]

Hi guys:wave123 great idea! Mookie is now in an outside release cage, I call it wilderness school so his lesson must be "outdoor diet". I've heard of people giving mealworms but what are they and where do I get them. Are you talking about just any worm I find in the yard (earth)? should it be dead? Gross!!!:D

[4skwerlz]

There's a list of wild foods in the Healthy Diet, but it definitely needs to be expanded!

[Reddliz]

Kola & I get our mealworms freeze dried, along with the rose hips from Exotic Nutrition http://www.exoticnutrition.com/index.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/reddliz/Squirrely/Mealwormspic.jpg

[Mookie's Mom]

Thank you Reddliz for the link!! :D

[psychotic feather]

But don't your babies like worms to be squirmy? :poke I know Ahrlan does

[Reddliz]

yeah, he might like them squirmy.....but I doubt I could handle it. :shakehead

[Mookie's Mom]

Were do you get the squirmy ones? I don't know if I can stomach that either :thinking

[psychotic feather]

ooooh its easy if you grab 'em right. but you have to watch the big ones 'cause they are snappy. i know that Ahrlan is scared of them. its funny i set one down on the floor and he will do his little tap dance and slowly circle it flagging his little tail like crazy. of course he does eventualy eat them hehe. i belive that you can get the live ones here: http://www.exoticnutrition.com/LIVE-INSECT.htm

[Anne]

Pet store that cater to reptiles carry live meal worms in their refrigerators. Flying squirrels especially love them--live and wiggly:D :D Yummy! My squirrels prefer the small ones. The whitish beetle grubs from your yard are a treat too. Earthworms are not good for squirrels. In Jacksonville, FL we can get silkworms also, they should be available via internet for shipping. I planted several heirloom roses in my yard, my 1 Smith's Parrish seems to provide all the hips I need, these roses are long blooming (all year here in FL) and disease resistant. Very easy to grow:crazy

[Mookie's Mom]

Thanks for the live worm info guys! Good idea, i'll check the reptile pet store. and no earth worms! :D

[modernpets]

I'm glad you guys like the idea! I'm going to start trying to get pictures and descriptions now. If anyone wants to submit their own pictures, names and descriptions on here, I'll and compile them all together, and if it's good enough, maybe we can make it a sticky?

After researching Pine Trees I found there are ALOT of Pine Trees...which ones are okay for squirrels? Here they are: http://www.treehelp.com/trees/pine/pine-types.asp

[merman]

You are lucky Kola likes freeze dried.. :)

Mia eats canned soft-boiled caterpillars or worms (no chance to find live here) but she didn't touch freeze dried ones i bought online. guess she likes the juicy ones..





Kola & I get our mealworms freeze dried, along with the rose hips from Exotic Nutrition http://www.exoticnutrition.com/index.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/reddliz/Squirrely/Mealwormspic.jpg

[Reddliz]

I am lucky, Kola is a good eater, he will gobble up 10 mealworms in seconds. :D

they also sell the live ones at exotic nutrition :thumbsup

good luck with your chart it will nice to have one.