[sherrvonne]

Photo coming soon..... Squirrel eating a cucamelon

[normhead]

From today, I finally got an image of that black squirrel that's been hanging around. I opened the kitchen window and used the Tamron 300 2.8 with the 2x to get it. He's pretty shy.

[sherrvonne]

Another squirrel shot from the big pine.

[reh321]

From today, I finally got an image of that black squirrel that's been hanging around. I opened the kitchen window and used the Tamron 300 2.8 with the 2x to get it. He's pretty shy.

Good shot - every black squirrel I've seen has been shy.

[blumoon722]

I took this pic a few minutes ago. This squirrel will take peanuts from my hand. She looks terrible...very pink skin and losing fur.
Any squirrel experts here know what may be her problem??

[Geodude]

I took this pic a few minutes ago. This squirrel will take peanuts from my hand. She looks terrible...very pink skin and losing fur.
Any squirrel experts here know what may be her problem??

Probably mange.

From Science.com - Mange is typically associated with dogs and cats. However, the mischievous squirrels frolicking in the yard contract the itchy illness. When Notoedres Douglasi mites infest a squirrel, it creates a species-specific mange that is not transferable to humans and pets. (See Reference 1) When a Sarcoptes Scabiei tic burrows subdermally in a squirrel, she develops the sarcoptic strain of mange common in household pets and communicable to humans. Contact between species is infrequent. Therefore, cross contamination is rare, but treatment is similar.

Treatment is controversial. Squirrels cannot be isolated during the medication period. Mites hide in squirrel nests and quickly reinfect them, trivializing the efficacy of the treatment. While treating wildlife poses a challenge, most squirrels in a suburban or urban environment are semi-tame. Observe them and feed them with ease. Restore balding, scratching neighborhood squirrels to health with these simple steps.

Purchase ivermectin from your veterinarian or feed store. Ivermectin comes in tablets, intended for canines and small mammals, or in paste. The paste form is marketed as horse wormer.

Measure out the correct dosage of ivermectin. Half the size of a grain of rice is an appropriate amount of paste wormer. For tablets, doling out the correct dosage is less exacting, and may require specialized measuring equipment or estimation as the recommended portion is 200 micrograms per kilogram of animal weight. (See Reference 3) A squirrel weighs between 8 ounces and 1.5 pounds, or up to half a kilogram. Therefore, 100 micrograms is the maximum dosage per squirrel. Cut the tablet then pound into powder form.

[reh321]

A couple of squirrels I saw while walking today.

Attached Images

   

[photolady95]

Ok, I still don't have any squirrel shots but I think I've figured out a way to slip them some peanuts without the brothers knowing I'm feeding the squirrels. My older brother gave me some bread to feed the birds (unknown to him squirrels like bread too) I put peanuts in my jeans pocket,, and scatter the peanuts at the same time I throw out the broken up bread. Then in the front yard we have a Weeping Bottle Brush tree my other brother trimmed to make it grow bushier next spring, there are squirrels who run up and down and around this tree. I've kept a few peanuts in my pocket after throwing them in the backyard, I place some in the forks of the Bottle Brush tree. I have to be careful though, last week I put one eye level of my other brother and he found it. UGH! Only he thought the squirrel dug it up somewhere and put it there, so I was safe from him finding out I did it. LOL

[Kennygee]

We have been quite busy recently and I have not posted pictures of Miss Twinky in a while. She was very busy getting ready for Winter and so were we. In the one pic she was moving so FAST she almost lost her tail

[Kennygee]

One more Picture of Miss Twinky taking a break eating her Favorite food

[normhead]

Just in case you're wondering what my guys are doing today... same as pretty much every day.

[Riggomatic]

Just in case you're wondering what my guys are doing today... same as pretty much every day.

Such a sweet face!

[reh321]

The "Nature" show on PBS tonight is called "A Squirrel's Guide to Success". It will be starting in a few minutes on my local PBS station.

Nature on PBS

The squirrel family – from tiny chipmunks to big prairie dogs – is one of the most widespread on Earth. There are almost 300 species of squirrels that can glide through the air, outwit rattlesnakes, and survive the coldest temperatures of any mammal. What is the secret to their success? Uncover the extraordinary abilities of these cheeky nut lovers as a filmmaker puts their problem-solving to the test on a specially designed obstacle course. Join some of the world’s top squirrel scientists who are making groundbreaking discoveries – from the brainy fox squirrel who can remember the location of 9,000 nuts, to the acrobatic gray squirrel whose tree-top leaps are the basis for new designs in robotics. And see the world through the eyes of an orphan red squirrel called Billy, as he grows up and develops all the skills he will need to be released back into the wild.

[Marcus Rowland]

A word of caution re hand-feeding red squirrels - apparently they can carry Hansen's Disease (Leprosy), grey ones are immune. Of course you probably don't want to get bitten by any squirrel anyway, but I've been researching the disease for something I'm writing and noticed this, thought I might as well pass it on.

[photolady95]

In my opinion, you should never hand feed a wild squirrel, no matter how friendly or sweet it looks or acts. It's still a wild animal. And can quickly become aggressive and bite you.