Found 1 male baby squirrel half grown

[buck308]

I'll try to keep this short. So my friend calls me up and says he found a squirrel, told him simply to do nothing except put it in the shade next to where it was found, I came by half hour later and it was still there. It's about 4-5" body length, tail has very short fur about half inch diameter, it has teeth, nibbled me pretty hard, hydrated, seems healthy, even climbing trees on its own. I saw a fully grown squirrel nearby but not sure if it's the mother, I have not seen them connect at all, im trying to keep my distance. It had quite a few ants on it when I first saw it.. but yeah I gave it the pinch test and it's all ok. So I'm thinking to leave it where it is tonight maybe and check in the morning before work, need some opinions. It's very active and running around. I've save 1 squirrel before and still have her, but this one if need be I can drive it to a local rehabber. So far I don't see the need but I have not yet confirmed that the squirrel I saw was it's mother, and I'm about to go back and have a look. Bought supplies just in case. Including Pedialyte, and I still have powdered esbilac from last time which was 2 years ago

[buck308]

Also to add to that it was crying almost the whole 2 hours I was there but only small glimpse of another squirrel during that period, going back to look now, sun is setting.

[Mel1959]

Don't leave it out by itself. If it was crying and the mother didn't come for it then it's all alone. Bring it in and put it in a plastic bin with a heating pad on low under one half of the bin.

[Mel1959]

It could have something wrong with it that needs to be addressed after further examination. But out there alone at night on the ground it is sitting bait.

[buck308]

****.. this isn't looking good. I should've took it with me. I was gone about half hour to 45 mins, once I got back it was night and there were some racoons in the area that the squirrel was. I've been looking everywhere but no squirrel and no crying or anything. I'm really hoping the mother got to it before the coons. I'm just sitting here now where I left it hoping it'll cry out.

[buck308]

It was climbing trees too so I mean it had a chance.. I'm hoping for the best

[Mel1959]

Oh No! I'm hoping and praying the baby is safe. Please keep us updated.

[buck308]

I don't know how much longer I can stick around. I dad finished cooking dinner just before I left to come back. I've looked everywhere, no sign of it, no blood either that I can see so I'm hopeful that it's just hiding somewhere or the mother came for it. And it wasn't the best tree climber but it did climb pretty high when I watched it the first time. So I'm just hoping it's up in a tree somewhere or got some sort of cover.

[Mel1959]

Will you be able to go back to where you left it in the morning to scout around for it?

[buck308]

I can and I will but it's a short window.. I usually leave for work at 7am. I dont know what to do I want to sit and wait but I'm really feeling hopeless at the moment. Do they cry at night or would they know to be quite at this age?

[buck308]

**** this is disappointing I completely thought it was at least old enough to be alright on its own and just got back a little too late. This is gonna bug me now

[Mel1959]

I think they'd be quiet to not draw attention to itself.

[buck308]

So there's still no sign of it around... I'll stay till midnight if anyone thinks it's worth staying. Hell I feel like pitching a tent right here I don't want to just leave it lol

[buck308]

I'm curious. I searched the entire ground where it was found, nothing. If it's alive it's in the trees, it has to be. What exactly usually happens at dusk when the mother locates a lost baby of this age? Does the mother pick it up and bring it to the nest? I'd assume so and I hope that's what happened. And I'm also wondering the odds that the coons could've passed it by without interest.. it was at least grown enough to climb a tree on its own so that's the big maybe..

[Mel1959]

It's hard to say what happened. I have seen video of mother squirrels carrying young squirrels that were much larger than I thought a momma could carry. Its just unusual for a young squirrel to be on the ground and allow you to approach it. That is why I would assume there was something wrong with it. So the mother could have come and claimed it while you were gone or it could have climbed a tree. Raccoons will kill a squirrel. There have been reports of them killing squirrels that are in release cages and pulling them through the wire...in pieces. :eek I don't have much hope if the raccoons happened across it. But I don't know how well it was maneuvering when it climbed. All you can do is look when it's daylight and see if you see it. Squirrels are up at the crack of dawn.

[buck308]

Also wondering... While I was waiting for the mother, baby was running around quite a bit, up and down trees and then it ended up coming closer to me until it saw me and started running towards me.. and it wouldn't let me let it go again where it was found.... So this is what gets me because I figure I'm here searching and calling for it yet it's not running at me to be saved and warmed up... Unless it's just too freaked out and won't move from where it is.. ahhh I don't know what to think

[buck308]

Thanks for the help anyway I'll just sit here and overthinking everything anyway but I'll be there to check in the morning, wish it luck! I hope it's with its with mom nice and toasty right now, otherwise I wish I listened to my gut and bring the squirrel with me back home, all I did was check if I still had esbilac at home while the store was still open lol.. dammit nature!

[buck308]

So I had a look this morning and didn't see or hear any sign of it. This is the part that I hate lol, hoping it's with mom and not in some coons belly. I'll have a look again later after work

[Mel1959]

No sign of the little one this evening? Once it's dark, they won't usually move around. They know it's not safe. They will stay put in a tree, a drey or a nest box. I'm so sorry he didn't show back up this morning. :sniff

[buck308]

Nothing in the morning, I didn't have a whole lot of time to look and I wasn't sure if I was still too early. We've had some chilly mornings lately too.. I also looked after work and I still didn't see or hear anything. Oh well what can I do right?! That's nature! I should've took it the first time I didn't think it was that risky to leave it alone for a while and when I thought predators I thought hawks and stuff, completely slipped my mind that raccoons exist lol. I was not expecting that when I came back. It's just too bad.


No sign of the little one this evening? Once it's dark, they won't usually move around. They know it's not safe. They will stay put in a tree, a drey or a nest box. I'm so sorry he didn't show back up this morning. :sniff

[Mel1959]

I'm sorry you couldn't find him. :hug