Seasonal Foods - USA

[AMSRFFG]

Hello,

I am just checking on what seasonal foods may be safe. I haven’t had luck searching.

Foods in question:

White or purple sweet potatoes
Cranberries
Pomegranate
Carob nibs - aka locust bean pods

Brazil Nuts - in the shell
Chestnuts - in the shell

Other non-seasonal: Plantain - the banana type not greens
Chayote
Kiwi






Thank you in advance.

[Sabache]

And Balsam Fir branches, are these okay? I'm cutting them off the christmas tree I just got and thought Peanut might like to chew on them, but I can't find any info if they are toxic or not.

[Sabache]

I've read that Brazil and Chestnuts are bad for them. I am not an expert though.

[Chirps]

Yes, Brazil nuts are a no-no. I know nothing about any of the other items. Hopefully someone who does will see this thread and chime in.

[CritterMom]

Yes, Brazil nuts are a no no. They are packed with selenium - even humans can overdose on them. With something the size of a squirrel, how much is too much is very hard to determine, and any time that happens, I always err on the side of caution.

Chestnuts are a problem for a different reason. They are not like normal tree nuts - they are not dry - if you cut them open they are the texture of a really tough potato. That dampness harbors and encourages fungal growth, including aflatoxins which WILL kill. A rotten, black nasty chestnut looks exactly the same as a perfect one from the outside. In the wild, sitting in the grass among the thousands nuts that have fallen from a tree, they will pick up a bad one, and pitch it aside because they have tone more to choose from. In captivity, they probably just have that ONE nut, making it the most valuable thing they own, and they will go ahead and try eating it. You can cut them open to ensure they LOOK good, but that doesn't satisfy me, since the signs can be subtle until the mold has completely overtaken the nut. So I again don't feed ANY chestnuts.

Black locust is toxic to lots of animals.

[Mel1959]

White and purple sweet potatoes are fine. My wilds prefer the white to the orange. Cranberries are fine and I think pomegranates are ok. But they do contain a seed so they may need to be limited.

Plantains, chayote and kiwi are fine. My flyer loves dried banana chips…it’s just like a nut to him. Some squirrels love chayote, but none of mine ever have.

[Diggie's Friend]

Sorry to differon Kiwi; I warned a friend some years ago about this; who after feeding kiwi as it has been confirmed to contain Calcium oxalate raphide needle like crystals. After feeding it they notices that their squirrel was thrusting with it's tongue from the high irriation of the raphides that irritate and inflame the tongue mouth and the throat. And although some varieties of kiwi are noted to be somewhat lower in raphides, there is also the issue of difference are the growing conditions that dictate the level of raphides that they contain. When it comes to kiwi it simply isn't worth the risk of putting a squirrel through the irritation and potential harm they may cause.

[Diggie's Friend]

These magified photos are of raphide crystals in kiwi fruit.

Raphides purified from kiwifruit had sharp needle-like shapes with smooth surfaces,

[Charley Chuckles]

These magified photos are of raphide crystals in kiwi fruit.

Yikes, I don't feed kiwi 😬