squirrel missing foot and tail

[jediadopttoo]

I posted this picture in another thread while I was having dwarf hammie trouble. But this one probably needs his own thread. This little guy had his foot bitten off about a month or more ago. When I noticed the food he was missing part of his tail too. It seems somebody decided to trim his tail again...He was doing very well without his foot. He made it though our blizzard! He must have a safe home! I am not sure how much more this little guy can take. Anyway, I am starting this thread here for suggestions and for those who wanted to follow up with how he is doing. He is young so I was thinking that helped him in adapting to three feet. All the blood is from the current tail injury and not the foot. That has not been bleeding.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee37/sjberk/DSC060091.jpg

[stepnstone]

He looks like he could use some help. I'm sure with his handicap he doesn't have the speed and agility as a four footed would, obviously something is taking advantage of that. Poor little fellow, any idea what is in the area that is attacking him?

[stosh2010]

You have a real SURVIVOR there...
Is there a way that you can offer him some TREATS --without him competing for them???
He might be fighting for warm sleeping arrangements?? Other squirrels might be taking advantage of his visible injuries???
################################################## ##################

Stosh >>> Keeper of the KING ( of Costa Rica )
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20907&page=226

[Rhapsody]

Oh poor baby I just want to scoop him up and hold him...... do you think you can catch him?

[jediadopttoo]

He does come late morning when there is less of a crowd. When he does come I do run out there with some walnuts for him. He has left befor the nuts are gone. The gray squirrels are all nippy this year. There are a lot out there missing a part of their tail. Catching him will be difficult.

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

You can use a Havaheart trap to catch him. However, I would only catch him if he looks like he cannot elude predators and more aggressive squirrels. If he seems like he is able to climb, jump, and defend himself, then he may not need intervention. I just don't know how he comes down a tree with one rear foot.

[stosh2010]

PLEASE keep this Thread Alive....
We ALL would like to be updated on your TRI-POD friend...
Hey GOOD NAME ??? ( maybe)

[momma2boo]

I would trap him, heal him (bodies don't heal well when cold), and then re-evaluate him to see if being wild will work for him long term. I am just afraid right now with it being cold that he may not do as well healing.


Just my opinion. Just thinking that trapping him doesn't mean he won't be wild again ... just giving him the opportunity to heal and stay warm before facing the mean ole' world. :thumbsup

Bless his heart! :Love_Icon

[mpetys]

I agree with M2B, especially with the wicked weather ya'll are having in Chicago. Heck, I would probably trap him here in Tampa, just to evaluate him, let him be seen by a vet if necessary and to let him heal in better conditions . Once healed, then re-evaluate for release.

Michele

[UDoWhat]

To me this looks like the work of a racoon. He is either sharing a tree too close to a racoon nest or the racoon is trying to get to his stash every night. This poor thing looks young and doesn't know how to find a new nest in the middle of this cold winter or is too confused to do so. I'd try to trap him. Racoons can and will kill squirrels for food. :shakehead Keep us posted, please.

[jediadopttoo]

No sign of him today. Tri-pod...cute:) The name for him I have been using isn't really that dignified either...Stumpy. Not nice, I know. You all can vote on Stumpy or Tri-pod...or other suggestions. I am not familar with the Haveaheart trap. I have used an animal trap that our village loans out for racoons and such. I used it for a stray kitten. I doubt our current town loans them out but I can check. He does make it up and down the tree rather fast. The missing foot really does not seem to slow him down. I am sure it does a bit though. My friend that is over often is a vet and and seen him and was quite impressed. She of couse was only able to get about four feet away from him... Racoons. Well, that could be the case for this guy. But I am now convinced that is what happend to my Annette. You can see my post from last year I at this time with my squirrel Annette and her story. She also had a tail injury. It did heal but soon after she was gone from her usual winter burrow. She left sometime early morning before light and her fluff was all out of her nest. It looked like something "got her". I bet it was a racoon. She would not leave before dark. There is a racoon living under my deck wich is right next to the tree where she lived for five years. Anyway Annette was very tame. She had a sub-mandibular abcess that I treated five years ago while she was in the wild. She came out of her hole twice a day for her antibiotics. I put the liquid Rx on a glop of peanut butter that was on a cracker. She was super sick too. I decided to treat her when I just saw her hanging out of her hole just looking sick and the bump on the side of her jaw just kept getting BIGGER. The drugs did the trick and a few days later I had blood and pus all over my deck. She had a pretty nice scar on the side of her face. I could always tell that she was my Annette. Anyway, she had several litters in that hole. She always brought her fall litter to the hole in my tree for the winter. She would then stay there for the entire winter with her babies. One winter she had 3 babies with her. Anyway, I have strayed from the topic. I think that Stumpy/TriPod was from a family that was in Annette's hole that was evicted a couple months ago by a fox squirrel. Or maybe the oringinal evictor was a racoon and then the fox squirrel moved in.

[mpetys]

I like the name Tri-pod!

[spykitten01]

Or Buccaneer - Buck for short LoL

[Jackie in Tampa]

To me this looks like the work of a racoon. He is either sharing a tree too close to a racoon nest or the racoon is trying to get to his stash every night. This poor thing looks young and doesn't know how to find a new nest in the middle of this cold winter or is too confused to do so. I'd try to trap him. Racoons can and will kill squirrels for food. :shakehead Keep us posted, please.:goodpost

[astra]

I think, it is rather obvious that he cannot run fast enough (I mean fast according to the unforgiving wild life reality, not just fast).
A slight slow-down, most likely, won't be visible to a human eye (all squirrels look fast), but will be significant when it comes to escaping predators. Even seconds matter, and this little guy must be losing quite a few seconds with a missing foot.
They push off the ground with their back feet that propels them forward. He cannot push with just one foot.
But the fact that his foot is missing and his tail is regularly trimmed by someone is an indication - he cannot escape predators.

It will be even more obvious when he loses another foot, or the rest of his tail, or gets lost himself...

Also, the fact that prey animals will hide their weakness/vulnerabilities doesn't allow to assume that he is ok, because he seems to be.

Since he is a juvie, he is inexperienced and, probably, hasn't learned "all the ropes" of wild life dynamics...
...very often injured squirrels adjust to the indoor life fairly well, apparently, being aware of their limitations...


He definitely needs to be inside, even if just to get stronger and heal...

[jediadopttoo]

Okay, I called my local rehab place and left a message. I will keep all of you posted.

[momma2boo]

Oh, I am so relieved. Thank you! :thumbsup :bowdown

[jediadopttoo]

Okay, they were no help. I have to trap them and they will help me from there. They couldnt tell me where to get a trap either. Not sure how I can trap a squirrel in an area were there can be ten squirrels at a time and he only comes by every three days or so. My little Annette would have been easy. And can you believe that the rehaber I talked to said that are no real wildlife rehabbers on this board! The nerve:)

[stepnstone]

Okay, they were no help. I have to trap them and they will help me from there. They couldnt tell me where to get a trap either. Not sure how I can trap a squirrel in an area were there can be ten squirrels at a time and he only comes by every three days or so. My little Annette would have been easy. And can you believe that the rehaber I talked to said that are no real wildlife rehabbers on this board! The nerve:)

It's obvious the folks here try to save the babies with their survival coming first. If the "rehabber" you spoke with don't trust this board, I sure wouldn't trust them! :shakehead

[momma2boo]

It's obvious the folks here try to save the babies with their survival coming first. If the "rehabber" you spoke with don't trust this board, I sure wouldn't trust them! :shakehead

:goodpost

I guess it's time to find some TSB'ers that live close enough to you to help you trap this little tyke.

What area are you in? (you don't need to be specific ... just someplace in the vicinity so those who are near by can PM you to offer their assistance)

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

You can get a Havaheart at Lowes/Home Depot, look in the area where pesticides are shelved. You want to get the small one, he probably cannot trip the one that a raccoon can fit in. Bait it up with a trail of sunflower seed leading from outside the trap to inside on the trigger. You may catch a couple that you don't want until you get him.

[jediadopttoo]

Home depot...I knew I saw them somewhere. I will get one tomorrow.

[UDoWhat]

In the mean time, I would put out some food for the racoon tonight near his/her nest. Kind of away from the tree where the squirrel is, so the racoon won't have to go hunting far for food. Dog food, cat food, table scraps, peanuts, anything to keep the racoon away from the squirrel tonight. I think that may help until you can trap the poor baby squirrel.

Good luck!

Marty, Licensed Maryland Master Wildlife Rehabilitator

[Kristal]

I am really hoping for the best for this little guy! If you need help with the live trapping, Mugzeema probably knows something about it and is local for you. Try sending her a PM.

Good Luck!

[jediadopttoo]

Okay, Tripod it is. My husband loves the name. If something squirrel related makes him chuckle than I had better go with it. Maybe he will tolerate my trying to help him.

UDoWhat-
Tripods nest is now at least 600 feet away from my deck now and I have no idea where. He runs on our fence to the back of our yard and disappears. The racoon that may have started it all under my deck has not been seen in awhile. The deck has also been under a five foot snow drift for a couple weeks now. Mr. Racoon had only one entrance under the deck and that is completly covered with a snow drift. If Tripods second injury was caused by a racoon I have no idea where that one is hiding. So far no Tripod today. It is still early though. His family does not come until nine or ten in the morning. The picture below was taken two or three years ago. Annette's nest was about five feet up...
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee37/sjberk/EHalloween06031.jpg

[mpetys]

Okay, they were no help. I have to trap them and they will help me from there. They couldnt tell me where to get a trap either. Not sure how I can trap a squirrel in an area were there can be ten squirrels at a time and he only comes by every three days or so. My little Annette would have been easy. And can you believe that the rehaber I talked to said that are no real wildlife rehabbers on this board! The nerve:)

Was this rehabber an individual or was it a facility you called? Be interesting to know as we may want to take them off any list so we don't recommend them to others?

[wolfysluv]

Momma back on the other page reminds us that "capturing" is not an all or nothing thing. Sometimes we get so caught up in "the decision" of caputuring a wild animal. And we freeze. It's gppd to remmeber it's not a decision for life. There is such a thing as being both captive and wild. IE, capturing for healing and rehab and then releasing for a wild life. Best of both worlds.

Thanks for the update on Tripod. I love him.

[jediadopttoo]

I have the trap so no we just have to wait for him to come back...

[momma2boo]

Praying for Tri! If at first you don't succeed "Tri" "Tri" again! :thumbsup

[Kristal]

Originally Posted by jediadopttoo
Okay, they were no help. I have to trap them and they will help me from there. They couldnt tell me where to get a trap either. Not sure how I can trap a squirrel in an area were there can be ten squirrels at a time and he only comes by every three days or so. My little Annette would have been easy. And can you believe that the rehaber I talked to said that are no real wildlife rehabbers on this board! The nerve!

Perhaps IR or one of the other, many licensed wildlife rehabilitators who frequent this board might want to talk with him?

[spykitten01]

I wish I could help out with this little guy as Milwaukee is not far from Chicago... Unfortunately my circumstances wouldnt allow for it - I have another board member overwintering my OWN girls for me as it is =/ Just praying Im in a place where I can get them back and do their soft release this April/May *fingers crossed* Whatever happens, Im glad youre watching out for this little guy - THANK YOU!

[UDoWhat]

Let's hope Tripod has moved his nest for now. Perhaps he pulled himself together enough to find a safer place to rest. Bless his heart. Keep us posted. Thank you for caring and helping.

Marty

[jediadopttoo]

Well, good news is that Tripod is doing well. He showed up at my feeder just as I was shuffling the kids on the school bus and the two year old bumped his head. Nice. Anyway, I went out to bait the trap. Tripod is the most timid of his family...figures. After I came in his family stayed and he hightailed it out down my fence. So I followed him through the snow...mind you there are some three foot drifts back there. I have a better idea of where his nest is now...Okay, I will keep ya posted. Oh, and in the picture Tripod is on the right. The pictures are bad since they are being taken through a window with a screen. It is very hard to focus.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee37/sjberk/DSC060241.jpg

[Busysqrl]

I know it's very cold where you are, but another option for trapping is to disable the auto spring mechanism in your trap and rig it to a long thin wire or string to it can only be tripped by you pulling on the long wire. Remove all food except the food in the feeder and use the trap as a feeder for a day or two so all the squirrels get used to going in and out of it and aren't scared. BTW, I used the larger raccoon trap that is only open at one end. I tried the smaller squirrel sized ones and it just didn't work as well. Then situate yourself outside about 20 feet from the trap with your string or wire in hand during the time of day you think he'll be there. Be sure to test it from that angle and distance to make sure it works when you pull on the wire. Then when Tripod gets in the trap, pull the string/wire and you have him. That's what I did to catch my squirrel because I had so many squirrels I caught about 20. It was scaring them to hear the trap spring. This method really worked slick. Good luck catching little Tripod. Looks like he needs a little time to heal and get healthy where it's warm and then possibly could be released after an evaluation. Many good thoughts coming your way.

[jediadopttoo]

Yeah, so a Fox squirrel reached in to grab a walnut from the side and set off the trap. :shakehead Tripod came back but is staying in a tall tree by the house. He is at the top eating some leaf buds. He did make a pretty nice jump from tree to tree:) I will look into the string method if this does not work...it just may be difficult while watching young children...My current plan it to leave the trap closed out there and to bait it when I see tripod. There are just too many squirrels out there. Okay, baby crying....

[Farani]

Any update on this little guy???

[jediadopttoo]

I hid and update at the link below with another post of mine. I probably should have just made a seperate post here. There is a new picture of him!
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27830

[Farani]

I hid and update at the link below with another post of mine. I probably should have just made a seperate post here. There is a new picture of him!
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27830

Thanks!!