More questions and observations on wild foods...

[cnmnnaturalist]

I've been making some observations of our wild squirrels and chipmunks, and I have more questions on what other folks have experienced.

A female Red Squirrel has been feeding on some American Elm in our yard. I believe she's eating the seeds of the Elm by nipping the small leafy twigs off and eating the seeds, but I'm not sure. I'll have to watch her through the binocs. Anybody else see this?

I asked earlier about the flowers of Violets, but what about the greens? There are always plenty of those. I'm also wondering about Chickweed.

Has anyone else had any experience with seeing other squirrels eat other wild greens? I don't want to make any assumptions if I see a squirrel or chipmunk eating something, since it may not be safe unless in certain circumstances or amounts. They may even be making a mistake themselves.

[Fireweed]

Oh, geez. I really have no clue about the foods you are talking about. I live in Northern Canada and feed as much wild foods to my squirrels as I can. So I *really* wish I could help you! :tilt
I hope someone pops in and can give you some answers.

I'm going to direct Hannah to this thread. She is a naturalist (her thread: Peter's Field Observations (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20410)). I'm thinking she has a lot of info/observations she could share. You might be able to find some info in her thread, even. And if not, just enjoy her fantastic photography! :D :thumbsup

Good luck!

[Shewhosweptforest]

From my observations I haven't seen my wilds really eat any greens off the ground:dono of course this is a yard in the middle of the woods...mainly I see them eating the new shoots off the trees...and anything that seeds from them...tulip poplar flowers...they go to great risks to get them from the very tips of the branches..maple of course...one thing Baby "loved" was the tiny seeds from the beech trees, they come in a prickly pod and are in a sort of three dimensional triangular shape...ohhh she would go ballistic on those....I picked and picked up as much as I could find..the other squirrels like them too:sanp3 ...and then this fall there were none on the trees:dono I don't know why, if it was a normal cycle to skip a season or if Hurricane Sandy destroyed them..no clue but I see them forming now on the branches so I WILL be on the hunt again this fall:jump I froze them that last season and it broke my heart when I gave Baby her last:shakehead ...I've also seen them eat the pods off my trumpet honeysuckle ...so I brought some in for Baby..she loved that also...it has fibers with little black seeds...but she ate that and seemed not to feel good that evening:thinking did she eat too much, or was it unrelated:dono I just stopped giving it to be safe...but my wilds still eat it..no problem:Love_Icon Ohh I also see them eat the berries off the :thinking snake berry (that's what we called it when I was young:dono) I think it's called poke berry ...it a wild, weed really that grows tall it's a very succulent type plant and gets the large purple berries ..birds love it too....that's why I let it grow in my yard:thumbsup Good luck finding more...I'll be paying attention because I'd like to know also:thankyou

[Hannah]

A female Red Squirrel has been feeding on some American Elm in our yard. I believe she's eating the seeds of the Elm by nipping the small leafy twigs off and eating the seeds, but I'm not sure. I'll have to watch her through the binocs. Anybody else see this?

Not specifically for the red squirrel, but for the fox and gray, yes.

I spent a few years observing the habits of fox squirrels in Brookings, SD and wrote a bit about the findings here:

http://www.sciuridae.org/Field%20Observations/South%20Dakota,%20Brookings/2009%20Brookings%20-%20Erbation%20Summary.html

>I asked earlier about the flowers of Violets, but what about the greens? There are always plenty of those. I'm also wondering about Chickweed.

I don't know about those two specifically.

>Has anyone else had any experience with seeing other squirrels eat other wild greens? I don't want to make any assumptions if I see a squirrel or chipmunk eating something, since it may not be safe unless in certain circumstances or amounts. They may even be making a mistake themselves.

This is a difficult topic. Squirrels seem to be rather discriminatory but I'm sure once in awhile they eat something that disagrees with their stomach. I suppose you'd have to look for foods that wilds commonly eat to have some confidence in them being safe. Are you worried about offering the wrong wild foods to a squirrel you're caring for, cnmnnaturalist, or just curious in general?

[cnmnnaturalist]

With the diversity and abundance of plants around my home and in the woods, I would just like to get them trying a lot of different foods that they will be looking for later on in life. I figure, the earlier I get them trying these foods, the less picky they will be. For the most part, the greens I'm giving them are dandelion greens, violet flowers, young leaves of Oak, Aspen, Poplar, Maple and Birch, and also lots of sunflower seed sprouts. They eat the sunflower sprouts like candy, so I'm trying to get them onto the other varieties that they'll be more likely to encounter and feed on in the wild. I'm releasing them in a pretty remote spot, so unless they migrate for a ways they won't likely encounter sunflower sprouts.

I'm interested as a naturalist as much as I am a caregiver, and I really enjoy watching them learning to 'forage' what I bring home and see the relationship between them and the plants.

I live in NW Minnesota, and there is a large selection of native plants to choose from. I'm even wondering about insects they may eventually snack on.

[Hannah]

With the diversity and abundance of plants around my home and in the woods, I would just like to get them trying a lot of different foods that they will be looking for later on in life.

Sounds good. I wounder how much of the squirrel's preference or avoidance of different foods is instinct and how much is learned. I suppose the habits of looking for foods is probably learned to some degree.

dandelion greens, violet flowers, young leaves of Oak, Aspen, Poplar, Maple and Birch, and also lots of sunflower seed sprouts.

All seem like things that would be avaliable in their natural environment. I have seen wild fox squirrels eating flowers, but I'm not sure what kind they were...

http://www.sciuridae.org/pics/20100725%20Sciuru%20niger%20rufiventer%20%28Klug%2 9%20eating%20flowers.jpg

Well, I'm not sure what he's eating -- might be something else, too. But it's near a flower.

They eat the sunflower sprouts like candy, so I'm trying to get them onto the other varieties that they'll be more likely to encounter and feed on in the wild. I'm releasing them in a pretty remote spot, so unless they migrate for a ways they won't likely encounter sunflower sprouts.

I see. Makes sense.

I'm interested as a naturalist as much as I am a caregiver, and I really enjoy watching them learning to 'forage' what I bring home and see the relationship between them and the plants.

That's cool -- might have guessed that from the name. :D

It's an interesting ecology. :) I've never really been able to care for squirrels, so have spent most of my time watching wild ones...

I live in NW Minnesota, and there is a large selection of native plants to choose from. I'm even wondering about insects they may eventually snack on.

I have no personal observations. I can research it quick if you want, though. (I'd guess if you're willing to eat one bug, they probably all taste about the same. Except the venomous ones, of course. :P )

[Fireweed]

Ok, you have aspens---I will cut a tiny branch of aspen that has Aspen Leaf Miners in the leaves. Maybe 6-8 leaves. I put the branch near the window. Sometimes my squirrels will eat the larvae but mostly they wait until the flies emerge. The flies gather on the window and the squirrels will just basically lick them off the window. :D I discovered this trick by accident but I do it all the time now. :tilt

Also, rosehips, cranberries, any berries like that? Not too often but sometimes I'll see the wild tree squirrels eating grass. Especially new shoots.

They love the new buds/leaves and bark of many willow species. But you'd have to figure out which ones they like in your area, of course.

If you have conifers, you could try giving them some cones. A log of a conifer is yummy to rip up and chew on, too.

[Skul]

Seen a variety of things eaten.
Oak buds, sycamore buds, pine cones, lichens on branches, different ground greens and only certain mushrooms.

[ALmommy]

[QUOTE=Hannah;894806
All seem like things that would be avaliable in their natural environment. I have seen wild fox squirrels eating flowers, but I'm not sure what kind they were...

http://www.sciuridae.org/pics/20100725%20Sciuru%20niger%20rufiventer%20%28Klug%2 9%20eating%20flowers.jpg

Well, I'm not sure what he's eating -- might be something else, too. But it's near a flower.



That is a petunia. And while I know they are edible to humans, squirrels have eaten them out of many a flower bed. Supposedly they have a mild sweet/spicy flavor. Another edible bedding plant is pansies. Light, sweet flavor.

[adoptedmother]

I've been making some observations of our wild squirrels and chipmunks, and I have more questions on what other folks have experienced.

A female Red Squirrel has been feeding on some American Elm in our yard. I believe she's eating the seeds of the Elm by nipping the small leafy twigs off and eating the seeds, but I'm not sure. I'll have to watch her through the binocs. Anybody else see this?

I asked earlier about the flowers of Violets, but what about the greens? There are always plenty of those. I'm also wondering about Chickweed.

Has anyone else had any experience with seeing other squirrels eat other wild greens? I don't want to make any assumptions if I see a squirrel or chipmunk eating something, since it may not be safe unless in certain circumstances or amounts. They may even be making a mistake themselves.

When we released Seymore---well, more of a let her go outside when she wanted via a tube and separate entrance---the first thing she ate was the little seed flyers from maple trees in the area. She liked carnations, fennel and tomatoes--fresh from the garden---she picked them herself. As far as greens, only radicchio was a choice. I don't think they boo boo when it comes to eating wild foods..It's the human stuff we throw out that's probably the most wicked to their system and has the most potential for harm.