Cause for 'no fur' on tail?

[Lois]

Hi- Does anyone know what would cause a grey squirrel to lose all his fur on his tail? The poor little thing doesn't seem to sprint as much as the other neighborhood squirrels- He's kind of lethargic and walks a good deal of time instead of prancing. Thanks in advance!

[TexanSquirrel]

:Welcome

Maybe he's got mange? Can you post a pic?

[Gabe]

Mange generally starts on the ears. I would guess it is diet related.

[susanw]

Is he a wild squirrel? Can you catch him if he is?

[Lois]

Sorry, I don't have a pic that I can send. He is a wild squirrel and I don't think we can catch him.

We haven't seen him today, so I hope he's okay. I will check into more information on mange.

Thanks for the input!:thankyou

[squirrelfriend]

Mange generally starts on the ears. I would guess it is diet related.

In most cases yes but my Squirrelie caught it off of Tilty and it started on his tail. Thankfully I already had meds on hand.:thumbsup :D It was caught early and he is fine now.

Look for crustiness for mange.

also swelling and scabs. Does the tail look broken? If so perhaps he has had a little accident?

[Lois]

Well, the little guy is still around, but I don't see any improvement with the exception that he does get around a little better. Perhaps it is his diet.... I didn't see any other symptons of mange, so I'm at a loss myself. Thanks for all the comments!

Lois:jump

[SkipPhin]

Hi, I'm new to this board, but found it in response to my search for answers to almost this very same question. Not just one squirrel, but many in my little neighborhood, have little to no fur on their tails. I live on the NW side of Chicago, across the street from a little park, and several blocks away from a very large park. This year, starting last winter, but really obvious now, I've noticed a lot of the squirrels in both parks don't have tail fur or only have very little. They seem to be just as lively, and don't appear to have trouble jumping from tree to tree, but I suspect I'm only seeing the ones that have successfully managed their tail fur loss. Who knows how many aren't successful. The juveniles appear to be growing on pace, and the adults appear healthy otherwise. I can't see any problems with the fur on the rest of their bodies, and can't discern any scabs, sores, or other visible problems. These are wild squirrels who, despite their proximity to humans, won't come too close (I think my two dogs have something to do with that!). If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. I'm worried about the little fellas.
Anyway, I'm so glad to have found this board. Squirrels rock!

[4skwerlz]

The squirrel's tail always seems to get the most wear and tear. If a predator is after them, or another squirrel, they'll grab and bite the tail if they can't reach anything else. For whatever reasons, by the time shedding time comes around, a lot of fuzzer tails are looking thin or with chunks missing. (A few of my wild fuzzers do manage to keep a perfect tail at all times though....How? Only their furdresser knows for sure.....:D ) Urban squirrels have a pretty rough time, between stray dogs and cats, cars, and rats bigger'n they are. My guess is, they're about to start the summer shed up there in Chicago, and will be looking better in a few weeks. It's nice of you to care about them.

Re: Lois' fuzzer, I assume the tail isn't completely and totally bald?!?

[SkipPhin]

Thanks for the welcome and info!
Can you tell me more about shedding, and what is expected? Do they lose body fur? If its too much to get into, perhaps someone might suggest some recommended reading? My love of squirrels has been very superficial, but I'd really like to start learning more about them.
Thanks to all!

[drakkonia]

Thanks for the welcome and info!
Can you tell me more about shedding, and what is expected? Do they lose body fur? If its too much to get into, perhaps someone might suggest some recommended reading? My love of squirrels has been very superficial, but I'd really like to start learning more about them.
Thanks to all!

Well you've come to a great place to learn more about squirrels, that's for sure! :Welcome From my experience, squirrels shed starting from their head ends and continuing on down to their tail ends, not always evenly all over at once. Right now two of my wild friends still have their winter pants on, but their summer shirts on, and there is a very distinct line separating the two coats. They are the only two who have that distinct line though.

[4skwerlz]

Here's a fascinating article on grey squirrels:

http://www.blackmouthcur.com/Gray%20Squirrels.htm

(Re: shedding. Some believe that squirrels shed starting from head to tail in summer, and starting from the tail up to the head in winter. No one seems to be 100% sure, and the fuzzers like it that way! :D )

[SkipPhin]

Great article - thanks! I think my local squirrels must be going through their summer tail shed. Hopefully, that's it. Thanks again.

[Midi the Squirrel]

Hi- Does anyone know what would cause a grey squirrel to lose all his fur on his tail? The poor little thing doesn't seem to sprint as much as the other neighborhood squirrels- He's kind of lethargic and walks a good deal of time instead of prancing. Thanks in advance!

He could have been starving. Or maybe he was attacked. Or it could be a parasite. Those are my only ideas.