acorns?

[rob567]

hi,

I have heard the litmus test for squirrels is opening a walnut on their own. Didn't have one around for Maxie to try but he pealed an acorn like a grape in about 10 seconds.

Is that the same thing?

[wheezer]

That sounds good:) I think more than cracking a walnut, they need to be fully weaned, eating natural foods, in a tall pre-release cage where they can learn the squirrelly skills of climbing and jumping from branch to branch. And also "weaned" from their humans:D (Age always varies. Some are ready at 18 weeks others 6+ months)
Hope all is going well:thumbsup

[muffinsquirrel]

Acorns are very easy to get into. A better test would be any kind of hard shelled nut - pecans, hazelnuts, etc. They also need these hard shelled nuts to keep their teeth trimmed.

muffinsquirrel

[rob567]

Climbing branches in a cage :dono

I built a cage and he doesn't go near it, but then he isn't really bothersome so I don't worry about it.

For climbing I take him outside and put him in a tree. He climbs around for 10-15 minutes then comes down jumps on my sholders and off we go.

During the day he hangs out in the kitchen sleeping in a cardboard box and running around the chairs and looking out the window.

One hour before sunset he marches on his own down the stairs and climbs onto a shelf with a blanket and socks and goes to sleep.

Whoever said they aren't social didn't tell him. He comes looking for us and generally just likes to hang out in the same room, or invent games to play with us, like tag, hide and go seek, escape or simply wresting. He is more cat like than a cat.

[wheezer]

Just for me, I would be very leary of letting him outside to play. He may take off too early at some point. Right now you are the parent and he will be very attached. but they mature earlier than kids so their exploring age away from "Mom" will be too early to be on his own.
Cages are for their saftey as well as security for them. It just may take a while for him to get used to it:)

[Sciurus1]

Hi Rob 567 Reading your questions, on when to release a squirrel, I thought to share with you, and others here on this very important, but often neglected part of a squirrels rehabilitation, the release. And by that I don't mean how to open a cage door and let them out.

Licensed rehabbers begin to release squirrels, depending on the season, and the habitat available. at 4-7 months of age. Why so wide a spread of age you may ask. This is partly it is due to the limited resources and facilities many have, but in large part, the notion that if juvenile squirrels are able able to climb in the trees, which they are at 4 months, this is the age then to let them go. Sadly this is not supported by squirrel biology, even so most State wildlife agencies support it as their standard. It is true that at 4 months they are able to travel in the trees, to negotiate their habitat, but the fact is, if they had not been orphaned the woudl not be happeing alone, but in the company of their mothers, and syblings. Orphans then are at a distinct disadvantage, not having their mothers to show them the ropes so to speak, what is good for food, and where to find it, what to avoid, and how to survive moreover. Though some of this comes by way of instinct, as studies have shown, not all of it does! Nature alone is then not relied on for wildlife like squirrels to survive, but the Nuture from their mothers plays a very vital role as well.

At a wonderful center in NY State, called Tomo's tree house, squirrels are released beginning at aournd 4 months. Yet few areas are like Tomo's, when it comes to what they offer their juvenile squirrels. (for more on that, check out Tomo's tree house thread) Tomos's has a natural wild habitat to release to, with plenty of food, and space for the juvenile squirrels to spread out in and establish a territory for themselves. Add to that they have wonderful facilities, that house orphaned wild life, with release cages, so when they get old enough, they have a jungle gym to work out in and hatitat condusive to their development as arboreal mammals as well. In urban habitats, orphans that are juveniles are greatly challeged due to the poor habitat, limited food supply, and traffic of course. he neighbors are not friendly nor are the streets either. Being orphans, they have no mother to guide them, show them the ropes, and fall prey to predators, cars, and buildings, as they try to negotiate an urban jungle habitat To then release a squirrel at the age of 4 months then, considering all they have that is challenging for them as orphans in an urban habitat, they are far too often injured or even killed early on, even by other squirrels, without a mother to clear out the competition for them, so they would have what wilds have at this same age, STILL though not on their own by far! This is why then I do not recommend a squirrel to be released at the minimum age may rehabbers release them at, for there is little to compensate for their clear disadvantage to wilds of the same age, who are far from being on their own at this same age! Again, Tomo's is rather an exception to this rule, doing soft releases, where the squirrels can come back to the shelter of the facility till they are ready to head out on their own. Again, they have no competition, only comrads in fur, for squirrels raised and released there in small groups fair far better than the lone orphans. For this reason it is highly recommended to release juveniles with ones of their own age, mimicing the model for juvenile wild squirrels. For this reason, we on TSB encourage those who come here with squirrels that have no experience in raising them, and have only one or two of them, to give the care and raising of these orphans over to a trained rehabber to complete.

To offset the other disadvantages for an orphaned squirrel, 2 more months to mature to the age of six months minimum is what has been found to tip the scales in their favor. Squirrels at the age of 3-4 months are afforded a large pen, or cage in which to wild up, having been for most of it's life in the care of humans. Wild foods should be introduced at this time, as to wean them off human foods, like rodent block, and garden veggies. When they actually recoil from being touched, they are showing you that they are becoming to take their first run in the trees. At the time of their release, it is best to provide them with a nest box, put up high, as well as made not to accomodate raccoon arms to reach in to grab them. Models for nest boxes can be found as well on our forums on TSB. The hole needs then to be just big enough for a juvenile to get into easily. Once they become comfortable with their habitat, they will go off to build their own nest.

[C*ndy]

:goodpost

[rob567]

Incidentally, I have noticed that with acorns they grow black quickly on the outside and when this happens they begin to grow black on the inside and go from being soft and moist to rather dry.

It might be why the squirrels treat them like candy but don't seem to bother with collecting them themselves. Also might be why you don't see them for sale.

[Sciurus1]

I recommend the book 'North Amercan Tree Squirrels' by M. Steele, and J. Koprowski, for answers to this, and other questions on squirrel behavior, and biology. You can find this book available for sale at Chris's Squirrel Store.