Eastern Gray full grown nutrition questions:

[Radagast]

My three year old orphaned squirrel (raised from a pinkie) has become very hungry for hibiscus leaves and meal worms. She eats Henry's blocks, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans, but goes crazy for hibiscus leaves and mealworms. I can also get her to eat macintosh apples, and organic red grapes. Do you have any advise for what other wild foods eastern grays?

[island rehabber]

My three year old orphaned squirrel (raised from a pinkie) has become very hungry for hibiscus leaves and meal worms. She eats Henry's blocks, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans, but goes crazy for hibiscus leaves and mealworms. I can also get her to eat macintosh apples, and organic red grapes. Do you have any advise for what other wild foods eastern grays?

I like to offer black walnuts, hickory nuts and acorns still on the branches, not on the ground. They also love the buds from Rose of Sharon bushes, and wild rose hips.

I'm sure you know this, but go easy on the nuts especially pecans; they are high in phosphorous and dangerous if a 'captive' squirrel eats too many per day.

[CritterMom]

:grin2 Rose of Sharon IS hibiscus! They are tasty - almost all of the Celectial Seasonings teas use hibiscus flower as a base.

[Rhapsody]

My squirrels love...... hibiscus, bottle brush tree, roses and oak branches with leafs.

[Lighten-Up]

My yard squirrels, and captives for release really enjoy the nut-like seeds from the Linden tree. Just happen to have a 60 foot Linden in the backyard. The seeds are about 1/4 inch big, and hang on the ends of the branches, where the flowers and brachs were. Mice also gather and store them in their winter caches that I find around.

I don't know anything about the phosphorus or nutritional content of these nut-lets.

[Mel1959]

I have seen wilds in Florida eat the ripe yellow/orange seeds that are on Queen palms. Some of the other types of palm seeds are toxic. I worry all the time about how much food my buddies are going to find when I release them. :dono. We don't have an abundance of nut trees along the coast. But there are a variety of fruit trees, like mango, avocado and orange.

[Radagast]

Thank you for these ideas. I used to feed Mystique organic spring mix, radicchio, green beans, and broccoli, for her veggies, but she's been turning them down in favor of the hibiscus. I don't know what to do when winter hits. Lol.

[island rehabber]

:grin2 Rose of Sharon IS hibiscus! They are tasty - almost all of the Celectial Seasonings teas use hibiscus flower as a base.

Thanks, CritterMom! Your post sent me to research more and I found this: http://garden.org/nga/searchqa/answer/29440/
I really didn't know they were 'cousin' species. I learn something every day from TSB! :thankyou

[Rexie]

I have rose of sharon bushes and have given branches but not leaves and buds. Now I can offer him some thing new. I run out of hibiscus by the end of summer. Thanks

[Rexie]

Just a note for information. I get black walnuts from nuts.com For a very good price

[Rexie]

Question...so from this post I understand the hibiscus cousins are safe, as I saw there are 2 types of cousins to the hibiscus?? Thanks. I love the TSB...