Diet

The wild squirrel monkeys feed on fruit, insects, leaves and seeds.

Recommended diet for squirrel monkeys should consist of:

2-5% Insects
5-10% High Protein Treats (eggs, yoghurt, nuts, etc)
15-20% Fresh Fruit & Vegetables
75-80% Commercial New World Diet (Dry or Canned)

A varied diet is very important to avoid boredom and loss of appetite.

Fresh water every day at all times.

Give your monkeys commercial primate diet supplemented with:

sweet potato
vegetables like corn, green beans or turnip
fresh fruit like mango, apple and banana
peanuts
sunflower seeds
hard-boiled eggs
wheat bread
insects like mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers
vitamin supplements (esp Vitamin D3)

A Detailed feeding schedule:

This is a feeding example for 1 squirrel monkey.

  • Fruits and vegetables should be cut into pieces appropriate for the monkey’s small hands.
  • New World Monkey Chow can be soaked in Marmoset jelly or fruit juice.
  • Moist foods can be sprinkled with a vitamin mineral powder such as Vionate. (approx 1/4 tsp per animal per day).
  • Food should be offered at set times of the day.

Every day at A.M.

  • 1 oz canned primate diet (cut in small pieces) Zupreem, Science Diet
  • 4 pieces of soaked New World Monkey Biscuit (Mazuri, Spectrum, Purina, etc.)

P.M.

Mo-We-Fr: 1/8 apple2 slices of banana 1/2’d
2 grapes 1/2’d
1 TBS diced orange
1/2 slice sweet potato (chopped)
1 1/2 TBS lettuce mix* (Romaine, cabbage & celery)
4 primate biscuits (soaked in orange juice or Marmoset Jelly)
8 peanuts
1 TBS sunflower seeds
1″ piece of carrot – chopped
1/8 slice of whole wheat bread cubed
4 snow peas(*) Lettuce mix ingredients are placed in a chopper and mixed. Use long and thin pieces.
Tu-Th-Sa-Su: 2 slices of banana 1/2’d1 TBS diced orange
4 green beans cut
1/4 hard boiled egg with shell (cut up)
1 TBS corn (thawed frozen or fresh)
5 peanuts
1 TBS sunflower seeds
1 heaping TBS avocado
few sprigs of parsely
1 heaping TBS black-eyed peas (shelled)
1/2 slice turnip
1 oz canned primate diet (cut in small pieces)
4 primate biscuits (soaked in fruit juice or Marmoset Jelly)
1/4 slice whole wheat bread cubed

Occasional treats :

  • Cricket or mealworm (dusted in vionate).
  • Soaked raisins, other types of fruit.  Portion of treat/day should be less than 1 teaspoon in volume!

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