Questions regarding a baby Douglas tree squirrel

[Kiki]

I rescued a little douglas tree squirrel about two days ago.

To give you a bit of history on the squirrel, I took it from some people that had been keeping it for around two weeks feeding it warm cows milk.
They told me its eyes weren't open when they got it but that they opened up about a week after they had it. They said baby had not grown much since they got it (which isn't suprising because of what it was being fed.)
I have no idea how they aquired it but it doesn't seem to have any wounds from another animal. Aside from being on the small side it's pretty healthy looking.

Baby is already very imprinted on humans and will litterally cry if a human is not in sight.

From what I have read about these squirrels they grow to around 10-14inches in length are VERY noisey and make all sorts of chitters and squeeks.
The babies are somewhat of late bloomers, they're born may-june and don't venture out of the nest untill augest-sept. They also stay with their mother for a year before going off to start their own life.

I don't know if this guy is going to be releasable - as I think the people who got him before me got him when he was around 3wks old and still had his eyes closed. There's also the concern of health problems from his previouse diet of cows milk. Baby is only about 3 1/2 inches in length but I believe he's around 6wks old. He just looks younger because he's mal nurished. Anyway I don't know what sex he is, I'm just calling him a he because that's what I think he is - for some reason! I was hoping you guys could help me with this if I took some pictures. I was also wondering if you may be able to help me decide roughly how old he is. Would also love some tips on raising him. He's still eating formula 5 feedings a day and is taking quite a few ccs per feeding. He is starting to wean himself though and enjoys munching on fruits, veggeis nuts and seeds. Douglas tree squirrels in the wild eat truffles, seeds from douglas pines, berries, mosses, nuts, flowers, blossums, birds eggs, nestlings and small rodents (pretty much anything.)

Any tips you can give me would be great. Should I be adding extra calcium to his diet? And if so, what is the best way to do this?
I am feeding him Esbilac formula and he chows it down.

I'd love help finding out what sex he/she is.

I'd also love help figuring out how old he/she is but I think around 6wks like I said earlier.

Any helpful info you can give me is appriciated. Here are a couple pictures of Chitter (we named it chitter because it makes lots of noises.)
These pics were taken with my cell phone, I'm getting batteries for my camera a bit later today and will post some better pictures once that happens.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/Kiksster/squirrel12.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/Kiksster/s22.jpg

In that last pic, he's on top of half of a pear. You can kind of get an idea of what size he is from that. He's really a tiny little guy.

[Lady Squirrelly]

I have no advice, sorry

BUT,


CUTE !!!! ME WANT !!!!!!!!


Darn, I live in Florida.:shakehead

[Mars]

:Welcome

Just a couple of quick thoughts that might help. I would add 1/2 part organic live cultured yogurt to the formula to help build a healthy gut flora. You will soon see an increased growth rate. I would also suggest Bioplasma to help balance the poor babies system after so poor a diet. Bioplasma can be purchased at most health food stores. I put one tablet in the formula twice daily until baby is back on thrack and you see normal growth. ( About 3 to 5 grams per day )

Hope this helps :)

[Buddy'sMom]

Adorable little guy!!! :Welcome Kiki and Chitter!! :wave123

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[pamela lee]

:Welcome HI, Chitter is adorable. I think that Isis raised a Douglas, you could try PMing her. I know she'd help you. This baby is too young to worry about releasable or non-releasable yet, imprinting is not an issue. Good Luck. As Gamma puts it if the peepee is close to the poopoo then it's a girl, if there is some space between then it's a boy, I hope this helps.

[Kiki]

Thank you all for the quick responces!!! I really appriciate it! He's eating like a little piggy! I will check my healthfood store today for bioplasma. I feed my gliders and flyers organic goatmilk yogurt with live cultures - so I will try mixing some of that in with his formula. He is very adorable! Lots of fun, very high energy and he wants to eat CONSTANTLY!

How many CCs should I be feeding him per feeding?

[Kiki]

there's abou 3/4in space between the peepee and the pooper so I think I was right and we got a little boy.

[Kiki]

I'll post some really good pics this afternoon after I pick up batteries. Check back in like an hour or so and there should be some cute pics to ooh and awe over lol. :jump

[Mars]

It is best to feed by the 5% rule - 5% of the body weight in grams = cc per feeding. As the baby is older you can increase up to 7% safely. I go to 7% when I go down to 3 feedings a day and they are taking solids.

[TexanSquirrel]

How cute! Good luck!

[Kiki]

My scale is not callibrated properly right now so it's hard to get an exact idea of how much he weighs, but I would say around 100 grams or so.. I just don't want to over feed him because I know that that can cause more problems then feeding more frequently with less.

[Kiki]

I'm used to hand feeding wallabies and sugar gliders, squirrels are a new one for me!

[Kiki]

That's what I thought and I've been giving him between 4-5ccs per feeding. Here are some new pictures of Chitter. He has grown quite alot just in the two days I've had him. He was very small and weak and didn't move around much when I picked him up from the people he came from. He's about the size of a chipmunk now.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/Kiksster/chitter.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/Kiksster/chitter3.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/Kiksster/chitter4.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/Kiksster/chittter2.jpg

[Kiki]

I know, he really is a little heart theif!
In the first two pictures he's actually sucking on my finger. He trys to nurse on everything. I had to change his bedding from a towel to a sheet because I was affraid he'd nurse on it like he does my sweater and accidently eat the fabric.

[Cleo_13]

OH THE CUTENESS! :jump :jump I can't get enough of these pics!

[Abacat]

Kiki, I doubt if he weighs 100 grams, thats closer to adult size. Check out these pics:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10366&page=3
or abit older on this page:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10366&page=4
Does he look more like Squirt's size?

[Kiki]

Well the douglas squirrels (from what I've read) are around 300-350grams when fully grown. This little guy here (my scale isn't working quite right like I stated before) now that I think about it in comparrison to my sugar gliders is probably closer to 60-70 grams. He's arond the size of a large chipmunk.

[4skwerlz]

How can you stand the cuteness??? Aaaack!!! :tilt

He's probably so greedy from being malnourished. Best not to overdo it though. They WILL overeat, and overfeeding can kill a baby, since it puts too much stress on their little organs. Signs of overfeeding include diarrhea, excessive urination, and bloating.

:Love_Icon Best of luck with this little sweetie.:Love_Icon

[Abacat]

I guess I was thinking Douglas squirrels were around 150 to 300 grams...Red squirrels are @ 200 to 250, so similar in size. Your Chitter looks about the size Squirt is now about 80 grams, or maybe 70 like you were thinking. He sure is cute! :Love_Icon

[4skwerlz]

I couldn't resist finding a pic of what this little cutie will look like fully grown.....
36838

[Abacat]

I guess I was thinking Douglas squirrels were around 150 to 300 grams...Red squirrels are @ 200 to 250, so similar in size. Your Chitter looks about the size Squirt is now about 80 grams, or maybe 70 like you were thinking. He sure is cute! :Love_Icon

:sorry, I meant @140 to 250g for T. hudsonicus :shakehead I'm going to take a nap now...36844 Maybe that will refresh my mind. :jump

[Isis]

:Welcome to TSB Kiki :wave123 I received your PM... thx! Thought I'd respond here so all could see the response, info, & pics I have.

From your pics... your little Chitter looks to me like a "coastal pine squirrel" like the one I raised about 10 years ago. Where I live on the east side of WA state, there are no squirrels like my "Critter". The Douglas pine squirrels in this area look similar, but they are completely white on their bellys (no red/orange at all) have rounder noses/ears & are bigger than she ever was. Critter came from a campground on the Oregon coast. I don't have any pics of her when I first got her & she was really tiny, but I'll post some that I have of her half grown & then as an adult... so you can see her coloring, shape (ears, nose, short tail, etc), & size to compare with your Chitter.

I think Critters eyes were just opened when I first got her... she couldn't climb a tree yet & had no teeth. I fed her raw egg mixed with soy milk & a couple drops of ferret vitamins from an eyedropper until she got teeth & began to eat vegetables. Her first nuts were peanuts (soft shell) & then hazlenuts & almonds as her teeth got big enough to get them open. She eventually COULD open walnuts & brazil nuts... although it took her a long time!

I was very naive on squirrel nutrition & care with Critter... TSB didn't exist back then... I never ever even had a full spectrum light for her! However she seemed to be quite healthy on the diet I provided & she had time in the 'real' sunshine outside often. Thank God I knew not to give her cows milk! As an adult she also ate carpenter ants & other insects/grubs along with mostly vegetables & a few nuts in the shell.

Critter was with me for 5 years until tragically strangling herself on a loop of towl she'd pulled into her cage while I was sleeping *crys* I have a 3yr old eastern grey squirrel (Bitty) now & before him, I never realised that pine squirrels are MUCH noisier!!! Critter made all sorts of squeeks, chirps, & chatters & it was a riot listening to her learn how to master the ear-shatteringthrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr at about 6 months old.

Sorry this is so long... trying to give you an idea of what to expect with this species of squirrel as they grow. Chitter is precious!!! I'll do the best I can to help you anyway I can from my experience with one like him :D

[Isis]

These pics are of Critter full grown... as you can see she was still really teeny & has more of a 'bottle brush' tail than the greys or larger squirrels fluffy tails. By the way... Critter never liked being held or cuddled & although she spent a fews hours a day loose in the cabin running around & nest building constantly at 90 miles an hour... she didn't ever go on attack... but she definately was quite protective & vicious about anything she thought was HER food. I had to wear the big yellow (soft) work gloves to handle her when she was an adult... she hated to be restrained! & she'd practically anniahlate my hands when handing her food... was like *how DARE you touch my food when you're handing it to me!!!* :dono

Best wishes with your sweet little Chitter :Love_Icon :grouphug :Love_Icon hehe I laffed when I saw his name was only one letter different than Critters! :D

[Snipe]

Heh heh

Just you wait until that boy shows you the definition of warp speed, I swear nothing moves as fast as a Douglas Squirrel on a mission.

One moved into my Clan of Greys here and from the very first day he was named Taz because everywhere he went all you saw was a little brown blur streaking here and there.

And don't let that small size fool ya, Taz quickly earned the reputation of the little brother to be avoided at all costs.

His favorite game in the whole world was to sneak up behind one of the others that were gathering up a nut to stash and wait until they started to run and then he'd race up behind them and swat their tail and before they could even turn around he was gone in a flash.

Only my two oldest females learned how to counter attack his actions and they'd do that by baiting him, Both Niki and Rogaine would see him hiding behind one of the flower planters and they'd turn their back on him and take about 3 leaps away and turn and grab, poor Taz by that time was completely airborne in attack mode and no way to put on the brakes before he was caught in midair and body slammed.
Did he ever learn, well kinda, but it was an on going lesson that he needed refreshing on several times a day.

Here are a couple pics of Taz

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/User_Name/TreeRats/IMG_5460.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/User_Name/TreeRats/IMG_5917.jpg



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/User_Name/TreeRats/taz_IMG_6062.jpg




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/User_Name/TreeRats/IMG_5896.jpg

[Kiki]

Chitter looks like Taz more so than critter, but to be honest - he could be either a douglas or a coastal pine. I am not sure which are more common where I am. Chitter loves to be held and cuddled. He craves attention and wants to be with people as much as he can. He would sleep in the palm of my hand all day if I didn't have to use them. I have no idea what he'll be like as an adult! I don't know if I am ready to try and keep a full grown larger variety of squirrel. I know he's going to be noisey and messy and full of spunk. He's already noisey, messy and full of spunk! LOL. :thinking

If he can't be released, then what? Do I build him a large outdoor enclosure? My house deffinantly isn't squirrel proof and he'll need more room than the bathroom (which is where I take my flyers to play.) I have a couple more pics of him feeding - a few of which give you a good idea of how big he is. But my batteries don't have enough juice to load them onto my PC. So I guess it will have to wait untill tomorrow. Anyway, it's time to feed chitter so I guess I will catch up with you guys later on. Thank you EVERYONE for being so nice and so quick to answer all of my questions. I know now that I found this board it will make raising this little baby ALOT easier. God bless all of you wonderful "squirrley" people!