How old is this baby, would he have been fine if left outside

[Ghostie]

My boyfriend almost ran this little guy over, along with his two siblings. The siblings ran out of the rode and this guy sat there even when approached.

https://www.facebook.com/lukas.edmondson

The pictures are on his profile, I'm using a phone and have no other way of uploading them.

The pics aren't great. But I have this info:

Top front teeth are extremely small. Probably just emerged. No cheek teeth. Tail is barely fluffy, but is the correct shape, not skinny and round.

Was covered in tons of bugs. Ears infested with little black ticks that pop if squeezed. Lots of flees. Feels very bony. We went back to the site and the siblings have no common sense and play in the rode couldn't catch them, though we weren't sure if we should. Mother doesn't seem to be around. What should be done?

[Daughter of a rehabber]

I wouldn't leave these guys outside, sounds as if they have been left alone for a while.
My suggestion would be to catch them and bring them inside.
Unfortunately, that is all I can suggest.
I leave it up to the others for the next step

[farrelli]

Can't see the FB pics. Needs to be brought inside though. Dark, warmth and quite are keys. I'll post care in a minute.

[Ghostie]

Thank you! I was thinking that... I just didn't want to take them if they'd be fine. I have fox valley coming my way so I'll be prepared at least. Ill wait for other peoples opinions as well though, it can't hurt.

[farrelli]

Here's basic care:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21626

Her'e and age guide:

http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/how-to-determine-the-age-of-a-baby-squirrel?___store=default

They don't leave the nest on their own until AT LEAST 13 weeks, usually much later.

Thanks for caring!

I have to go to work but can post more when there if no one beats me to it (which they will). Please look all over to make sure there aren't more. Also, be sure that mom is not near by relocating them or something. It's a balancing act to figure this out but also not let them run off.

[Ghostie]

https://facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151475376412960&id=758197959&set=pcb.10151475376677960&__user=100001725219119

Maybe this one will work

Okay not that one

https://m.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151475376412960&id=758197959&set=pcb.10151475376677960&__user=100001725219119

This one is mobile link.. Not sure how to make it work for computers

[sid'smommy]

Siblings need to be caught as well , so that they all have the best chance at survival when released again later...

[farrelli]

Be sure not to wait too long and let them run off. Mom might have gotten killed and they're now out looking for food and such. Happens a lot.

[farrelli]

HTe permissions are wrong on FB. Gotta go.

[Unikorngrrl]

I agree, sounds like they should come in. They may need any number of things to help them along if mom is gone. The others should be caught. If this 1 is in bad shape the others surely can't be far behind...

[Ghostie]

I'll go search for them. I have a few havaheart traps I could set up and check every couple hours if that would be safe? They hide under this boulder and are gone for hours and don't reappear... Easier to spook then the one I have now.

[farrelli]

Would a net, sheet, etc. be more expedient?

[Unikorngrrl]

His profile and/or photos are set to private so we can't view them. Try saving them to your phone and either email them to a member or post them from your phone.

[Ghostie]

My email is smithc1214@gmail.com if people want to shoot me an email, I can then send the pics I have.

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

you can email me and I can post the pics
Elgara53@gmail.com

[farrelli]

Just got an email of pics taken inside, so it looks like he's in. Hoping for an update. Will post pics after resizing.

[Ghostie]

I have emailed a couple people some pictures!

I have an update that might help guess his age:

I pried his little mouth open, as gently as possible, and discovered a long bottom front tooth, and a super short top front tooth (three to four millimeters maybe?) as long as the white tip of my nail, and I bite them. And his side teeth are all gums, no teeth in sight.

[Ghostie]

I set up a small animal haveaheart trap as there were no babies in sight... Will be checking back every two hours. It has Boo Balls in it (homemade squirrel treat listed on here)

[farrelli]

Pics:

[Ghostie]

I sent a picture of his top teeth. Best I could do.

Now, when I got my first red squirrel two years ago, his name is Boo Boos, his ears were still fused to his head. But he had a lot of energy. He chased my hands or I could play with him with cat toys (like a stick connected to a string and toy I would boing in front of him) and he would be so eager to play with them.

This red squirrel however seems a bit older, ears aren't fused to his head and his tail is flat and poofy vs BooBoos who had a rat tail. And he has absolutely no energy. He doesn't want to play at all. He would sleep all day if I didn't wake him up to feed and water him (tho he has access to water all day, I just make a point to make him drink when I feed him)

[farrelli]

If you sent the teeth pics to me, all I got was a duplicate of your first email.

So are you hydrating this little guy? Have you purchased the ingredients for the goats milk formula yet? And as for the fleas, they can be taken care of by a quick bath, or even wipe down, of a dilute solution of Dawn dish soap (the blue kind). Try and clean from the head down so that they can't run to safety on his face.

I think that Nancy will be in love with this little guy.

So, do you want to raise him or do you want us to try to find somewhere for him/them to go?

[Ghostie]

Already have the temp goats milk formula, waiting for fox valley to come in. I can handle the little bugger.

I took care of the fleas.. It's the ticks I'm having trouble with. They seem to stay even after a dawn dish soap bath. So I'm plucking them off one by one. My boyfriend says the ticks are a type that doesn't carry Lyme disease and are apparantly from texas... How they got to Maine I don't know.

[Ghostie]

He's a pretty vocal bugger. We all must know the sound they make when annoyed or guarding food right? That angry chatter noise? Yah, he makes it when awoken or disturbed while eating (like if my boyfriend pokes him while I'm feeding him through a syringe)

But it gives him character ^_^

[farrelli]

Awesome! So are you set know? Are you aware of the 5-7% feeding guidline? If you're not aware of proper feeding technique, here's a link. It's really important.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36777

A drop of Revolution will get rid of the ticks, if you have it.

And lastly for now, towels aren't the best bedding given that they can snag their toes and hurt themselves. We recommend t-shirts or fleece, and plenty of it so that they can burrow down.

[Ghostie]

Thank you!

And in his actual pen he has t shirts and fleece gallor, I just wanted to keep him close in this carrier but I'll grab a t shirt and replace the hand towels with it

[Fireweed]

Please check the trap much more than every two hours. They can really hurt themselves in those things. I'd only go as long as 20 minutes and that's pushing it.
Instead of the traps (since you can't monitor them closely), I'd go out there with a thin blanket and/or a *MESH* net (not a net like you use for fishing, for example) and try to capture the other ones. Bring lots of different foods (nuts, peanut butter, fruits etc.) If the mama is nowhere around, you'll most likely be able to slowly approach the babies (talking gently to them) and they will either run up to you and you can easily scoop them up and right into a carrier, OR you can plop a blanket over them and scoop them up that way.
Keep going out there because once they realize you are all they've got, they will practically jump into your lap.

Good luck. Reds are so adorable, I can't stand it. :Love_Icon

OH! Do you know how to take ticks off? I believe you are not supposed to just yank them off... I'll try to find a link.

[Fireweed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wotB38WrRY

The link above is a tutorial on how to safely remove ticks. If you tear the tick, you may leave germs in the puncture site etc. and the site may become infected.

:thumbsup

[Ghostie]

I keep going back and no sign of them. Trap is put away.

When I tried catching them yesterday they were way skittish. I'll keep trying however. I couldn't stand it if I was their only hope and I didn't go back... They were really active late afternoon, around four, yesterday. Maybe around four today they wil come out again.

[farrelli]

Squirrels are usually most active at dawn and maybe a couple hours before dusk. Other than that, they nap randomly through the day. But being so young and still on formula, I don't know if the normal sctivity times would be applicable. Babies sleep a lot.

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

sorry I have my Grand-baby today....
I didn't get any teeth pics, sorry so slow, I see what I got has all ready been posted.

[Ghostie]

Thank you all for your help! I'm glad I made the right decision to take him home! I just wasn't sure if he'd make it on his own. My boyfriend works on that rode the rest of the babies live on, so he's going to keep an eye out for them, checking in the morning and around 3 when he heads out. Luckily for the babies it's a dirt rode so people drive really slow. Unlucky is that right across the street, fifteen feet away, is a mother fox and her two babies... Going to hussle and try and save the babies! (I think the mother fox moved her babies an herself though, because the farmers children gawked at them a lot)

[farrelli]

Please keep us updated, and remember, pictures, pictures, pictures!

[farrelli]

Just noticed a photo of teeth in my inbox:

[Fireweed]

The top front teeth seem normal, unless that little 'chip' in the photo is actually a chipped tooth and not just a fleck on the lens. You said he had *one* long bottom tooth? Could you get a pic of that? I know with even my adults sometimes they look as though they only have one bottom tooth because their teeth are so tiny... :dono

Going back to something you mentioned before: he could have no energy if he is still dehydrated. Was he fully hydrated before you started feeding? Do a pinch test on the back of his neck---pull it up into a small tent and then release. Count. The slower it takes to go back to normal, the more dehydrated he is. Let us know.

[Ghostie]

The skin test makes me think he's hydrated, it goes down very quickly, immediately even.

I meant bottom teeth, sorry! I know they are supposed to be longer then the top, but they are very long. I could be wrong however! I'll try to get another photo. That might need to wait till my boyfriend gets home so he can hold the baby and I can snap the picture.

Day three and he is sleeping constantly. Unless he gets his energy out at night while I'm asleep, I don't think he's active at all. He's very awake when I feed him however, and will keep eating if I let him. I could fill up five syringes and he'd gulp them all down and want more.

He does groom, I watched him lick himself down. I don't know if this info is even useful.

[farrelli]

Babies sleep a ton, and he's been through a lot.

Do you know his weight? It's a really good indication of health and progress. Weigh them at the same time each day (maybe morning before feeding). It'll also tell you how much to feed. 5-7% of body weight is the guideline. Sometimes a little more. You don't want to feed them too much or too often as it can cause bloat and even malnutrition. If the poop ever is white, especially when you go to Fox Valley, it means that it's not having enough time to be digested.

[Fireweed]

The skin test makes me think he's hydrated, it goes down very quickly, immediately even.

I meant bottom teeth, sorry! I know they are supposed to be longer then the top, but they are very long. I could be wrong however! I'll try to get another photo. That might need to wait till my boyfriend gets home so he can hold the baby and I can snap the picture.

Day three and he is sleeping constantly. Unless he gets his energy out at night while I'm asleep, I don't think he's active at all. He's very awake when I feed him however, and will keep eating if I let him. I could fill up five syringes and he'd gulp them all down and want more.

He does groom, I watched him lick himself down. I don't know if this info is even useful. Yes, do get a pic when BF gets home. :thumbsup

You are currently feeding the goat's milk formula, right? How much are you feeding? Do you have a weight on him? If not, get a scale. He needs to be eating 5-7% of his body weight.

Edit: Ok, so it takes me a bit to write a few sentences. lol What farrelli said. :D

[Skul]

Aw, a little red. They're so darn cute. :Love_Icon

[Ghostie]

Baby is a lot more active. Likes his armpits scratched. Havent gotten a teeth pic, he got really upset last time we tried. Going to try again today now that he's calmed down.

Just a question: you know how older squirrels become food aggressive and make this terrible chatter? Would a baby this young doing that be odd? The first squirrel I took care of two years ago didnt become food aggressive till six months of age (I had to keep him through the winter)

[Fireweed]

Baby is a lot more active. Likes his armpits scratched. Havent gotten a teeth pic, he got really upset last time we tried. Going to try again today now that he's calmed down.

Just a question: you know how older squirrels become food aggressive and make this terrible chatter? Would a baby this young doing that be odd? The first squirrel I took care of two years ago didnt become food aggressive till six months of age (I had to keep him through the winter)
No, not odd at all. They learn to rattle shortly after emerging from the nest. It's a territorial call. They do it as much as possible for several weeks, for any reason they can find. They think they can claim every tree, every leaf as their own. :D It's cute until it becomes...annoying (oh, did I just say that? I mean, I LOVE everything about them! :tilt).

If you can let him stash food, you're doing him a huge favour. He'll need to become really territorial in order to have the best chance in the wild. However, be aware that he can attack you if you get too close to his stash. So, you might want to wait until he gets in a pre-release cage to allow stashing. That way you can keep a distance from him. :thumbsup

Pics of teeth would be great. But ANY pics will do! We love pics! :poke :D

[Shewhosweptforest]

Pics??? Second that:thumbsup Wish you could have found the siblings:grouphug

[Nancy in New York]

Post #33 is that a tick on the right chin area?

[Ghostie]

That was when I discovered the nasty little tick. It was gently plucked out :)

[Ghostie]

I sent more photos to a member on here, so hopefully they'll be posted today :')

[farrelli]

Here are instructions for uploading pics.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30

[Ghostie]

I can't with my phone. I don't have a computer, and this site doesn't work with phones for uploading pictures.

[farrelli]

I'll be here until about 5:00 so you can email them to me, as in the past. farrelli-at-rcn.com