Clear worm in urine

[JMF2323]

Hello,
I have a southern flying squirrel. His name is Maximus. He just urinated on my shirt(which is very normal) but when I was changing my shirt I noticed that there was a clear tiny clear worm in the middle of the urine stain, what should I do?

[cava]

Can you post a photo?

[CritterMom]

Are you certain it is a worm? Some years ago, I found a pile of these thin, clear "worms" in a puddle of my gray squirrel's urine. I freaked - retrieved them and put them in some distilled water so they could be identified. A couple hours later I looked in the water and they were gone! They weren't worms - they were pieces of the wax "plug" that males insert into the female after ejaculation so another male cannot impregnate her!

[ClemC5]

Get out ! Well I sure am glad I learned this little factoid here rather than screaming into the vet's office to have them look at me like I was crazier than I already am! Thanks !

[BCChins]

So what other animals have this wax plug?

I know Chinchillas do.

[Trooper]

Many rodents, especially those that multiply very fast (like rabbits) and rely on safety in the numbers to make their species survive, rely on this mechanism on the males to assure that only his genes make it to the female's egg.

This wax comes from two glands located on the males on either side of their anus. They are called Cowper Glands, and the wax is similar to paraffine wax mixed with a colloidal cellular substance that will keep it swelled up if moist. If left to dry, they will reduce in size by 70% and if left in the heat (sun, stove) they will melt leaving a greasy spot on the surface as if you dripped motor oil.

Will not wash with plain water and a solvent (alcohol or detergent) is necessary for its complete cleanup.

Interesting how nature hands us incredible facts about survival, which this is an important fact in that department.

Trooper's dad

[JMF2323]

I didn't take a picture, but it sure did look like a worm. I tried to put it under a microscope put it under my microscope but it broke into pieces. How long is the wax you are talking about, this was probably 1 cm long.

[CritterMom]

A little bigger but then he is a gray squirrel, not a teeny flyer. They were cylindrical with no clear sign of head or tail but then they were very small and I was willing to blame my eyes for that. There was no sign of life from them, no movement at all. I was ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN I was looking at worms and so I put them in distilled water and RACED to this very board and had a small meltdown. An old member of the board pointed out that this might just be a bunch of wax plugs, which I discounted until I went back to look at the "worms" again and found that they had disappeared! Worms don't dissolve and disappear.

Did this thing you found move at all? How old is your flyer and how long have you had him?

[JMF2323]

No it did not move at all. My flyer is 6-8 months old, I've had him for 5 months.

He just peed and I didn't see any worm. Should I take him to the vet just in case?