Squirrel
The red squirrel is a common rodent
which lives mainly in old trees. This animal
feeds on seeds , especially pine and fir, but
also eggs,young birds, fungi and twigs.
A virus disease status significantly has reduced
the squirrelpopulation in 1964. That
population slowly recovered but is still
far from the population before 1964.
Nowadays the red squirrelpopulation is mainly
affected by the by the grey squirrel that
is more adapted to a live near humans.
The nest
The Red Squirrel builds large nests of twigs,
high against the trunk of the tree.
The nests are large, afew feet in diameter.
A squirrel has multiple nests. Even a hollow
tree or a birdhouse is used as a nest.
The rear leg with the long nails that
the squirrel against the bark of a tree
can walk.
Reproduction
Male and female have the same appereance and size,
they weight half a kilogram or a bit more.
Mating is mostly in spring and summer, but
there are no strict rules.
The young are born throughout the year,
but mostly in early spring, to two litters
a year per female are normal, and every litter.
produces three or four young. The young red squirrels
starts eating solid 6 weeks after birth
and starts leaving the nest , but return
to nest to suckle their mother. This stops
10 weeks.
A gnawed pine apple, the squirrel has four large
incisors , and with those it peels a pine apple easely.
Squirrels have also discovered the feeding bulbs
that feeds the tits.
caught a squirrel?
It sometimes happens that squirrels are caught.
Often in wintertime, when they suffer from hypothermia.
Cats have the basty habbit to catch squirrels at take
them home.
squirrel do's and dont's
Don't take them in the hands, Squirrel easely bite.
Never grab a squirrel by the tail, the squirrel
will certainly bite and the tail will be damaged.
A squirrel will never be petted!
If you want to catch a squirrel use a towel.
Never feed them with milk. They drink water
Rabbit food is good them (see below).
The squirrel as a pet
A tree squirrel is a beautiful animal as a pet,
but it will not be touched. Red squirrels
and Gray squirrels get about ten years, the
female often much older, but the male rarely
Gray squirrels are much less shy than Red
ones. Feeding by the hand means that the
squirrels grab the food and will eat it
somewhere on a save distance.
starting with a squirrel
Very young squirrels are hard to bring up,
they need special milk. When young squirrels
are caught they will get very fast tame but
squirrels that are older than 3 months remain
suspicious.
squirrels in aviaries
Red an Grey squirrels are usually held in a
large aviary. They don't mix easely with others.
Remember that only some large birds are safe
for a squirrel. And that a squirrel is fond on
young birds and also eggs on their menu have.
Squirrels are not good with chickens either.
squirrel and the food
Good Squirrelfood is rabbitfood mixed with insects,
and nuts and white sunflowerseeds. In fall nuts are
cheap and are also good squirrelfood:
walnuts , hazelnuts ,
beechnuts
and peanuts.
unusual pets
Pet animals
Red and grey squirrel
Herring Gull
great pond snail,
cuttlefish
hedgehog
edible frog
common frog
great crested newt
water buffalo
house mouse
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