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Rexie
03-27-2015, 09:24 PM
Does anyone know why okra is not on the food list? Is it part of the night shade family?
SammysMom
03-27-2015, 09:26 PM
Does anyone know why okra is not on the food list? Is it part of the night shade family?

I believe it is in the nightshade family. I have given it in very small amounts occasionally.
Rexie
03-27-2015, 09:32 PM
do they like it?
SammysMom
03-27-2015, 09:33 PM
Not especially. It is one of those things that I try just to offer a bit of variety.
Rexie
03-27-2015, 09:52 PM
ok, I was just looking for variety. but I will pass on the okra
SammysMom
03-27-2015, 09:57 PM
What do they like? Have you given purple or white sweet potato? Yucca?
Rexie
03-27-2015, 10:10 PM
He eats his blocks real good. In his am salad he gets snap peas, avocado, steamed acorn squash, a yellow tomato, cranberries or a citrus piece. He gets pear and oak tree leaves and branches daily.The greens I have seen him eat is kale and napa cabbage. sometimes he will eat broc and cauli. and sweet potato. He wont touch cucumber, mushrooms, all other squash, celery, asparagus, Brussels, I do feel he gets a good variety, but would like to see him eat more veggies. He will eat ANY fruit I give him, LOL .....
Kristi S
03-28-2015, 01:30 PM
Okra isn't in the nightshade family, it's in the mallow family (Malvaceae). It does contain solanine, one of the constituents of the nightshades - but, like edible fruits/tubers of the nightshades, it is not present in high enough quantities to be toxic to humans, anyway. Tomatoes, incidentally, are in the nightshade family.
Rexie
03-29-2015, 10:21 AM
wow I we can feed tomato's to them.
LeilaNami
03-31-2015, 10:39 PM
wow I we can feed tomato's to them.

Yes, but in moderation. They are in the Group 3 category on the healthy squirrel diet chart found here:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

I've had a lot of success with radicchio and belgian endive with picky veggie eaters. If you can get them and haven't tried them yet, you might consider giving it a go.
Rexie
04-01-2015, 12:18 AM
I cant seem to find those 2 items at my local stores, only in the mixes of green. I may have to try growing my own. I got some white clover seeds and am gona grow that for him to munch on.