What to do with a baby squirrel that has fallen out of the nest. Is it necessary to pick up those that have fallen out of the hollow in the spring (reasonings of an employee of the Bitsevsky forest)

The first thing you need to do is warm the baby squirrel - this could be your hands, a hat, a scarf, or a pocket. Even hot water in a bottle next to it will do. Next, the baby squirrel needs to restore its water balance, and not try to immediately feed it - in a pipette - some water (not from the tap, this is dangerous!). He needs to start drinking.

Remember, baby squirrels are at risk: they have very weak intestines and if they are fed or drunk incorrectly, the fight for life goes on for minutes. Then try to feed him.

It is advisable to offer him goat's milk or a milk replacer for kittens (sold in pet stores). If the baby squirrel is already grown up, then white bread soaked in goat's milk is what you need.

Cow's milk is contraindicated for baby squirrels!

If it is not possible to feed other than cow milk, dilute it with water 1:1. Remember that a very small squirrel needs to be fed, just like infant- every 2-3 hours. Feed from a pipette - drop by drop so that he does not choke. If you hold him in your hands, he will quickly understand that you and your smell are a source of “goodies.” Consider that you are now and forever the little squirrel’s friend. If the little squirrel is already old enough to eat solid food, offer him:

Pine nuts, only in shell (less likely to have a fungus that is dangerous for the baby squirrel);
- seeds (only natural in shell, not fried);
- twigs with leaves (apple, pear, willow);
- acorns;
- apple;
- carrot.

In general, you can only offer a baby squirrel what he could find in nature. Sugar cookies from the hands of compassionate citizens in parks, of course, don’t count. And remember that his teeth grow throughout his life, he must grind them down on solid food. It is enough to feed a grown and grown baby squirrel 2 times a day.

The next step is to determine a place for the baby squirrel, for example, in a box. Under no circumstances should there be cotton wool there; he could get entangled or suffocate in it. Very good for use as bedding terry towel. If the baby squirrel is grown up and you are afraid to leave him at home alone to roam freely, you will have to buy a cage. Remember: the higher the cage, the better the baby squirrel. Approximately 50x50x100 is suitable, but it is better if you let him run around under supervision, and not just keep him in a cage. There must be fresh water in the cage (I repeat, not from the tap!). Secure the bowl or drinking bowl so that the baby squirrel does not turn over the water.

Under no circumstances should you put newspaper on the bottom; it’s better without anything - the paint will be on printed publications promotes the accumulation of lead in the animal’s body.

Also provide a house where the squirrel can rest and another house where she can make nest eggs for a rainy day. Lump chalk is needed for shaping bone tissue, give mineral stone, vitamins for rodents. If, God forbid, your baby squirrel starts loose stool, help him. Boil oak bark (not too much) and put it in a cage for half a day. You can give “Smecta”: directly smeared on your finger - the little squirrel will simply lick it off. And most importantly, remove all fruits, only dry food.

In general, the baby squirrel is a wonderful animal, but it loves to pull the blanket over itself. Try to teach him to live by your rules from childhood. Squirrels have the intelligence of an adult dog, they are just very small themselves. Remember that a squirrel should feel like it’s in a fortress in its holiday home: don’t climb in there, the squirrel cleans up its own mess - throws out nut shells and spreads its own bedding. By the way, cleaning directly in the cage at least 2 times a week will ensure that you are free of any smell (just replace the bedding at the bottom of the cage).

If you are lucky enough to find a baby squirrel in the forest, save him, don’t pass him by, he’s so defenseless and so wonderful!

Nowadays, few people will be surprised by an unusual pet. Chinchillas, capybaras, hedgehogs, ferrets, snakes, lizards, tarantulas and even tigers become household members. Squirrels are no exception. Often, a squirrel enters a home either out of human pity and compassion for a lost or injured animal, or because it is a deliberate purchase of the animal as a pet.

In both the first and second cases, you definitely have to decide whether you can cope with such a difficult task.

Is it worth getting a squirrel as a pet? pet?

Before you bring a little squirrel into your home, you should ask yourself a few simple questions.

Are you ready to get up at 5 am every day for 10-12 years?
Clean the apartment daily and at least once a week general cleaning in the animal’s cage, and also puts up with its specific smell?
Can you provide him with all the necessary products (cones, acorns, nuts, pine or fir branches)?
Is there a veterinary clinic in your city that will help your pet if some misfortune happens to it?
Will you worry that once again you won’t be able to squeeze or touch the squirrel? This animal does not like hugs and can even bite.
Will the apartment survive the attacks of the little destroyer and will you be able to take it calmly?
And the most main question– are you capable of spending 20 times more than the squirrel itself costs to furnish its home? funny squirrel
If you are ready for such tests and answer “yes” to all questions, then feel free to buy or pick up a baby squirrel. Just a little one, because if it happens big squirrel, you won’t be able to make friends with her. Adult animals are not tamed and remain wild. Squirrels aged 3 months are suitable for taming.

If you are consciously approaching the appearance of a squirrel in your home, then you need to know where to get it. Where can you get such a baby, you ask? For example, you can buy it.

Where to buy a squirrel?

Now there are many places where you can buy a squirrel: nurseries, online bulletin boards, pet stores, zoos, game wardens, hunters and bird markets. The last option (bird market) is not the best; here there is a chance to buy an unhealthy or wild animal that is absolutely not suitable for living with humans. There is also a chance to fall for an unscrupulous seller on the Internet. Although if you buy online, you have a slightly better chance of buying a healthy and well-mannered squirrel. To buy just such an animal, you should consider the following recommendations:

Contact the seller and find out how the animals came to him and how they were raised;
if possible, ask to see the baby squirrels on Skype;
ask if you can see the squirrels live;
ask what the animal is fed;
ask about vaccinations, deworming and general health animal.
Having received the seller’s answers to all these questions, you will be able to get a complete picture of the protein on offer and decide whether or not to buy this animal.

The best options for purchasing squirrels are a nursery, breeder or pet store. It is safer to buy an animal in such places. A conscientious seller always provides a guarantee and is responsible for his pet. Whenever you make a request to return or change an animal, the nursery, breeder or pet store will always agree.

When purchasing a squirrel for a huntsman or hunter, there is a risk of buying an absolutely wild animal that will never become tame. Therefore, before buying an animal from them, look at it and find out its age. The smaller the squirrel, the easier it will be to tame.

Buying a squirrel at a zoo can be done through the administration, but this cannot be done everywhere, because not every city has zoos.

Having chosen a suitable place to buy a squirrel, you should start arranging the place where it will live. A cage or aviary is a good choice for placing a squirrel in a house or apartment.

Squirrel cage
The first thing that should appear in your home when a squirrel appears is a cage or aviary. For a baby squirrel, a cage 60 cm high and 50 cm wide is suitable. An adult squirrel will need more space. For an older animal, it is better to purchase a cage approximately 1.5 m high and 60x80 cm wide. The squirrel will feel comfortable in such a home. When choosing a cage, pay attention to the presence of a tray. A convenient retractable, galvanized tray equipped with a handle will save your time cleaning the squirrel’s home.

Arrangement of an aviary or cage

It is also very important to arrange the squirrel’s home inside. First of all, the cage should be equipped with a water bowl and a food bowl. Fill the bottom of the cage with rodent litter. Set up a house that resembles a nest or hollow and put dry hay, chopped cotton fabric or scraps of fur into it. When buying a house for a squirrel, make sure that it has a folding top or a convenient hole that your hand can fit into. A dwelling of this design will be easier to clean. But do not buy a house without a bottom, because it will still need to be well secured as high as possible in the enclosure.

In addition, you need to put a snag in the cage or secure a branch on which the squirrel will grind its teeth and claws. If the animal does not have something to sharpen its claws and teeth on, then soon the squirrel will begin to have health problems.

To help your pet spend active time, you can install additional elements in the enclosure: a wheel, a hammock, a ladder, a bathing suit. Only when installing additional accessories, keep in mind that the wheel must be axleless, and the mount on hammocks must be carefully hidden.

Having arranged a place in the house for a future or newly arrived pet, you should take care of its diet. The squirrel eats seeds

What to feed a squirrel at home?

Perhaps this is the most important question that interests every new squirrel owner. If the baby squirrel was picked up on the street, you should determine the baby's age before you start feeding him anything. By feeding an animal with inappropriate food, there is a risk of ruining its life. Baby squirrels, which should be fed only milk, can be easily identified by the absence of their upper incisors. It is also quite easy to recognize babies who eat solid food; they are completely covered with hair and have open eyes, have fully formed upper incisors, their tassels begin to grow and their tail fluffs out.

Very small squirrels up to two weeks old (from eyes closed and without wool) are fed every 2 hours with 2 ml of milk. Animals 3 weeks old are fed 2-4 ml every 3-4 hours. Babies 5 weeks of age are given 4-6 ml of milk every 4-5 hours. The last feeding of a 5-week-old baby squirrel can be done at 00:00, and the first morning feeding can begin at 06:00. Also, at the age of five weeks, solid food, peeled, is introduced into the diet of squirrels. pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, low-fat cottage cheese and dried fruits. When starting feeding, do not under any circumstances add fruits or vegetables to your baby squirrel. The baby's stomach cannot digest fructose and lactose at the same time.

After each feeding, the baby needs to massage his tummy so that he can go to the toilet. squirrel with a bump

At the age of 2 months, the baby squirrel is completely transferred to solid feeding. From this period, the baby begins to eat all the foods that squirrels eat.

Products that can be fed to a tame squirrel: mushrooms, definitely pine cones, acorns, fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, bread, grains, nuts except almonds and peanuts, young shoots of trees, beetles, bird eggs, mealworms, chicken meat. The minerals in the cage should be salt stone and chalk. Read more about nutrition and feeding squirrels in the article: What to feed squirrels?

Proper feeding and care of the animal will help keep it healthy for a long time. for a long time and extend life by several years. At home, squirrels live for about 10-12 years.

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Squirrel care

Squirrels, even very small ones, unlike rabbits, are quite easy to raise in captivity, but you need to keep some rules in mind. First, make sure that the squirrel really needs your care. It happens that little squirrels fall out of the hollow, but if they are left alone, the mother squirrel will definitely go down after them, and, taking one by the fur of the scruff of the neck with her teeth, lift her back up the tree. Secondly, baby squirrels have a great need for warmth. It is best if artificial heat comes from a homemade heater. Temperature and feeding should be normal, but try to handle the squirrel less often. Nursing squirrels from infancy is divided into three stages: from birth to 4 weeks, from 4 weeks to 2 months, from 2 months to release into the wild. Treatment, maintenance and feeding are not the same at each stage.

The eyes of baby squirrels usually open at 19-21 days; knowledge of this rule will make it possible to accurately determine the age of the animal. thirty

To feed tiny baby squirrels, use a medical pipette, making sure that the milk flows evenly. We remind you that the use of a glass pipette is unacceptable. Squirrels are extremely voracious and can even strangle each other in an impatient desire to quickly satisfy their hunger. It is better to feed them on the table with a bath towel on it. This will make it easier to control the behavior of the animals and the flow of milk from the pipette. Do not leave baby squirrels on the table unattended: they may not be able to stay on its surface and eventually fall off.

Here is the initially recommended diet: 85 g of condensed milk, a teaspoon of baby food. Wait until the mixture is completely dissolved, add four drops of syrup. You can also give regular milk with added baby food.

The food must be fresh, so it must be prepared again every day. Store refrigerated, carefully sealing the container. Before each meal, heat to a temperature of 30-35 °C.

Rinse the dropper thoroughly after each feeding. Milk turns sour very quickly, and consuming it in spoiled form can cause illness. If an animal tastes spoiled or too hot milk at least once, the next time it will probably refuse to eat.

Never bathe an animal. Do not use coniferous tree shavings for bedding, as the dust from it is bad for the animal, getting into the nostrils and causing discomfort. If you want to carry out hygiene procedures, use baby creams. Do not use cotton fabrics. Cotton retains moisture, which can cause your pet to get pneumonia. During the period when the squirrel gets used to feeding on its own, its paws and face will be dirty with the food mixture. Before returning the animal to its "bedroom", carefully remove any remaining food using a towel and warm water.

A cardboard box is a great option for baby squirrels. The height of the sides should be approximately 30 cm. To be sure, cover it on top with a metal mesh so that the animal cannot get out. Thanks to this coating, the cage will be ventilated and the animal will feel good. Install the box into the brooder. Use a soft cloth as bedding: it is easy to clean, light in weight and retains heat sufficiently. Under this fabric, squirrels can shelter from the cold and freely get out from under it if the temperature in the box is normal. Warmth will flow through the cardboard bottom, giving the animals the necessary feeling of comfort. Immediately after each feeding, the animal must be returned to its home immediately. If the little fir tree is healthy, it should sleep until the next feeding. Keep pets away from newspapers - the lead used in printing can cause illness.

After the first period of infancy, when about a week has passed since the opening of the eyes, the time will come to teach the animal to eat from a plate. The dimensions of the plate or saucer are as follows: about 9 cm in diameter and no more than 2.5 cm in depth. Use an additional cardboard box for feeding. The bottom of the “dining room” can be lined with paper, which is easy to change periodically.

Place a piece on a saucer white bread, then fill with the nutrient mixture. Carefully bring the animal's mouth closer to the food. Repeat the procedure several times until the animal understands what is required of it. Some squirrels learn to feed themselves quite quickly, but with others you need to be patient.

Alternate feeding from hands and from a saucer so that the squirrel does not develop one-sided skills. As soon as you find out that the animal is sufficiently accustomed to the saucer, you can finally give up hand feeding. Feeding baby squirrels with bread soaked in milk is very convenient, since the animal will not take too large sips and will not choke. Don't try to feed more than one squirrel at a time. Until the squirrels get used to eating normally, they run around the food dish and eventually get dirty themselves and spread dirt in the box. In general, they can be very unkempt, but don't mind it. As soon as you notice that the squirrel has eaten enough, immediately take it to its sleeping box where it will dry out. When the squirrel grows up and there is no need for heating, you can gradually add other products to the bread and milk.

LIFESTYLE.
The squirrel is a typical forest inhabitant. Since the basis of its nutrition is seeds tree species, it prefers mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, which provide the best feeding conditions. He also loves mature dark coniferous plantations - cedar forests, spruce forests, fir trees; they are followed by larch forests, thickets of dwarf cedar and mixed pine forests. In the north, where mainly pine and larch woodlands grow, its population density is low. In Crimea and the Caucasus she mastered cultural landscapes: gardens and vineyards.

The lifestyle is predominantly arboreal. A squirrel is a living, active animal. She easily jumps from tree to tree (3-4 m in a straight line and 10-15 m in a downward curve), “steering” with her tail.

During the snowless period, as well as during the rut, it spends significant time on the ground, where it moves in leaps up to 1 m long. winter period moves mainly “uphill”. When there is danger, it hides in trees, usually hiding in the crown.

Active during the day, spending 60% to 80% of the time searching for food. In the middle of winter, it leaves the nest only for feeding time, and in very coldy and hides in the nest during bad weather, falling into a half-asleep state. Not territorial; individual areas are weakly expressed and overlap.

Shelters common squirrel suits only on trees. In deciduous forests, it usually lives in hollows, dragging there a soft litter of grass, tree lichens, and dry leaves. In conifers, it builds spherical nests from dry branches (gaina), which are lined from the inside with moss, leaves, grass, and wool. Nest diameter - 25-30 cm; it is located in the fork of branches or among dense branches at a height of 7-15 m. The squirrel also willingly occupies birdhouses.

REPRODUCTION
Squirrels are very prolific. In most of the range they produce 1-2 litters, in the southern regions - up to 3. U Yakut squirrel usually only 1 brood per year. Breeding season, depending on the latitude of the area, feeding conditions and population density, begins in late January - early March and ends in July-August. During the rut, 3-6 males stay near the female and demonstrate aggression towards competitors - they purr loudly, hit branches with their paws, and run after each other. After mating with the winner, the female builds a brood nest (sometimes 2-3); it is neater and larger in size.

Pregnancy lasts 35-38 days, in a litter of 3 to 10 cubs; in the second litter less. Newborn squirrels are naked and blind, weighing about 8 g.

Hairline They appear on the 14th day, they begin to see clearly only on the 30-32nd day. From this moment they begin to leave the nest. They are fed with milk for up to 40-50 days. At the age of 8-10 weeks they leave the mother. Sexual maturity is reached at 9-12 months. Having raised the first litter, the female fattens up somewhat and mates again. The interval between broods is about 13 weeks. In October-November, the squirrel population consists of 2/3, and sometimes 75-80%, of young-of-the-year squirrels.

PS: And as it turns out, squirrels are friendly and seductive.

25.12.2017

There is a general opinion that the younger you buy a baby squirrel, the more tame it will be. The Internet is replete with advertisements for “two-month-old baby squirrels for sale.” There are “doers” who pull baby squirrels out of gayno. There are “businessmen” who take 1.5-2 month old squirrels from nursing mothers. Convenient - no need to feed, maintain and the same money. Everyone is happy - both sellers and buyers. Human egoism has eclipsed all concepts of morality. The stress experienced by the female and the cubs is a trifle; it is important that the squirrels are so small and eat from their hands. And the fact that baby squirrels that have not received a full cycle of feeding by the female with milk have a life expectancy of 1.5 to 3 years is a trifle, we’ll buy others. Depending on at what stage of feeding the cub is selected, life expectancy depends. Second important point- baby squirrel receives mother's milk vital information. In addition to genes, the basic behavior of a given species is transmitted with mother's milk.

The female feeds children up to 3 - 3.5 months. Starting from two months of age, baby squirrels begin to try seeds and nuts. At 3 - 3.5 months, they completely switch to feeding on adult food and are transferred to teenage enclosures along with the female. After 10 days, the female migrates. From 3.5 - 4 months, baby squirrels are ready to independent life and begin to show interest in the person feeding them.

THE OPTIMAL AGE OF CHIPS FOR TAMING IS 4-6 MONTHS.

After 7-8 months, the squirrel, after moving to a new “apartment”, experiences more stress and the period of adaptation to the new place increases by 2-3 days. In everything there are always exceptions to the rules. I describe the behavior of the bulk of squirrels based on personal observations and many years of monitoring the behavior of squirrels in different conditions. I would be grateful for various information about your squirrels (life history, unusual behavior), for a more complete study of the animals.

P.S. The mortality rate for baby squirrels sold before 4 months is high percent due to the illiteracy of the owners when feeding.