Were these too young?

[LeilaNami]

I saw this on a website I frequent. This person's grandmother relocated these 3 American red squirrels. From the looks of the pictures, they don't look like they were at an age to be weaned. Can you confirm this? Red squirrels always look so tiny to me so I wanted to be sure.

http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/123906006

If what he did was wrong, please don't contact him yourself. I will do it since I already have a presence on that website.

[stepnstone]

I hope you can intervein,
they will never make it, way too young.

[Rhapsody]

These little guys do look small, but red squirrels are smaller than the average squirrel.
Do you know how old they are? The average release age is 14 weeks.
After going through a month (30 days) in an outside release cage..... Soft Release.

LINK:
http://mothernaturesrescue.webs.com/release.htm

[LeilaNami]

These little guys do look small, but red squirrels are smaller than the average squirrel.
Do you know how old they are? The average release age is 14 weeks.
After going through a month (30 days) in an outside release cage..... Soft Release.

LINK:
http://mothernaturesrescue.webs.com/release.htm

No I don't. They appear to me to be 6-7 weeks from the pictures. She found them in her yard but relocated them to a nature park and I'm concerned about them being separated while they might still have been nursing. There were three of them so I would assume they were siblings.

Do you guys feel like I should contact them to see if the situation can be remedied? I doubt it can but I can at least head off any future mistakes.

[SammysMom]

Way too young...can she go get them?

[LeilaNami]

Way too young...can she go get them?

I will contact them and see!

EDIT: This picture was posted a day ago but I posted on it since there is no way to contact him directly. Hopefully he sees it :(

[Rhapsody]

Hopefully you can find then and continue raising them until they are of the correct age for release.
and with it being Winter...... they need to be in a warm place until Spring arrives.

[LeilaNami]

Hopefully you can find then and continue raising them until they are of the correct age for release.
and with it being Winter...... they need to be in a warm place until Spring arrives.

Unfortunately I'm on the opposite side of the country...This apparently occurred in Michigan.


Well I was pointed out the spotting date which means these were taken in June. What's done is done. :(

[Nancy in New York]

Yes way too young.
I am currently overwintering 3 little reds.
They are considerably older than these, but still too young for
release.

[Rhapsody]

Well I was pointed out the spotting date which means these were taken in June. What's done is done. :(Oh well, if the pics we are seeing were taken back in June then these babies are bigger and old enough to be released....... I just would NOT have let them go at this time of the year with Winter being here. This is when we over Winter our babies...... I have 5 squirrels that are staying with me until Spring time.

[DarkLies212]

The poor babies :( Does anyone think they'll have a chance on their own this winter? =/

[LeilaNami]

Okay let me re-explain. These people did not keep these squirrels. They found these squirrels in June. They relocated them to a nature park 2-3 days later. I was concerned that they were too young and were still nursing and that would impact their survival.

[Rhapsody]

Okay let me re-explain. These people did not keep these squirrels. They found these squirrels in June. They relocated them to a nature park 2-3 days later. I was concerned that they were too young and were still nursing and that would impact their survival.We understand that now....... and now we are concerned that these squirrels may not make it through the Winter due to the fact that they have not had the advantage the other squirrels have had. The other squirrels have been hiding nuts for months in preparation for Winter eating and they have been growing thicker fur and making their nest just right for the cold Winter air....... the 3 little squirrels just released have not had the same advantage as the others, hence why we always say to over Winter squirrels not able to be released in the Fall months.

[Nancy in New York]

We understand that now....... and now we are concerned that these squirrels may not make it through the Winter due to the fact that they have not had the advantage the other squirrels have had. The other squirrels have been hiding nuts for months in preparation for Winter eating and they have been growing thicker fur and making their nest just right for the cold Winter air....... the 3 little squirrels just released have not had the same advantage as the others, hence why we always say to over Winter squirrels not able to be released in the Fall months.

I believe what she means is she THOUGHT these were recent pictures, however, they were actually taken in June, so right now these little ones would be 6 months older than the pictures.
They were put back outside a couple of days after the finder found them, so it still would have been June when she took them outside, 6 months ago.

[LeilaNami]

I believe what she means is she THOUGHT these were recent pictures, however, they were actually taken in June, so right now these little ones would be 6 months older than the pictures.
They were put back outside a couple of days after the finder found them, so it still would have been June when she took them outside, 6 months ago.

Yes, and my question was is it okay to separate them at that age? If they are the age I'm thinking they are, they would still be nursing and just beginning to eat solid food. So would it be okay to relocate them even when they're that young?

[Rhapsody]

Yes, and my question was is it okay to separate them at that age? If they are the age I'm thinking they are, they would still be nursing and just beginning to eat solid food. So would it be okay to relocate them even when they're that young?Thanks for the clarification Nancy...... and to answer your question.
No, it was not okay to relocate the babies at that age and time..... they would of stayed with mom until they were about 14-16 weeks old and then in time they would of ventured off on their own or mom would have ran them off - for the ones that refused to leave the nest.

[LeilaNami]

Thanks for the clarification Nancy...... and to answer your question.
No, it was not okay to relocate the babies at that age and time..... they would of stayed with mom until they were about 14-16 weeks old and then in time they would of ventured off on their own or mom would have ran them off - for the ones that refused to leave the nest.

That's what I thought. Thanks!

[Nancy in New York]

Yes, and my question was is it okay to separate them at that age? If they are the age I'm thinking they are, they would still be nursing and just beginning to eat solid food. So would it be okay to relocate them even when they're that young?


NEVER! :nono
But it's a moot point now. :shakehead

[LeilaNami]

NEVER! :nono
But it's a moot point now. :shakehead

Well that website deleted my comments so I sent them a letter that I no longer wish to participate if that is their stance on education. Before they deleted everything though, he told me his mom said that 6-7 weeks they would be eating food on their own. :soapbox

[Nancy in New York]

Well that website deleted my comments so I sent them a letter that I no longer wish to participate if that is their stance on education. Before they deleted everything though, he told me his mom said that 6-7 weeks they would be eating food on their own. :soapbox

Eating food on their own?
They should still be on formula, and even if they nibbled on
some food, they could never survive on their own since
their eyes open at ~5 weeks. So who in their right mind would think
that any squirrel at 6 weeks could survive on their own.
Can you send me the website through a pm? :tilt

[LeilaNami]

Eating food on their own?
They should still be on formula, and even if they nibbled on
some food, they could never survive on their own since
their eyes open at ~5 weeks. So who in their right mind would think
that any squirrel at 6 weeks could survive on their own.
Can you send me the website through a pm? :tilt

Hi Nancy, I'm actually in communication with an administrator right now. She says that their community terms encourage education about wildlife rehabilitation and that she doesn't know why the comments were deleted (basically anyone with "ranger" status can delete comments, not necessarily just admins).