Should I be Concerned About This Little Guy?

[Woodnight]

I'm new to TSB. Found it while searching for info about squirrels (what are the odds? :-) Anyway, I have a pretty good population of squirrels behind my office that I treat to unsalted walnuts and raw sunflower seeds from time to time. Today, a couple of new additions to the population stopped by and I snapped this shot. Curious what might be up with this little guy? Some kind of a syndrome? Thanks, Woodnight

[CritterMom]

Oh my. My heart hurts, looking at this little one.

It appears that he is combining dwarfism - not unheard of and we actually have an entire forum dedicated to it: https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?212-Downs-or-Achondroplastic-Dwarfism with maybe something more - his poor head!

How does he act in comparison to the other squirrels? Is he agile like them or does he sort of fumble and bumble around?

I am shocked to see one this age in the wild. The mamas usually push them out which is why we end up with them. They usually are incapable of surviving in the wild. Give us as much info as you can!

[Nancy in New York]

Oh my. My heart hurts, looking at this little one.

It appears that he is combining dwarfism - not unheard of and we actually have an entire forum dedicated to it: https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?212-Downs-or-Achondroplastic-Dwarfism with maybe something more - his poor head!

How does he act in comparison to the other squirrels? Is he agile like them or does he sort of fumble and bumble around?

I am shocked to see one this age in the wild. The mamas usually push them out which is why we end up with them. They usually are incapable of surviving in the wild. Give us as much info as you can!

I thought the same thing, some sort of dwarfism.
The photo doesn't even look real because he looks so different.
He almost looks as large as the one on the right.
Would you be willing to catch him, if that's what he needs?
He's adorable, that's for sure!
Thanks for finding us.

[Woodnight]

CritterMom & Nancy, thanks for your replies. I really don't know much about him. Today was the first time I've seen him. There were a couple of babies born this year and I've seen them running around playing and chasing each other but think I would have noticed him if he was one of them. I think the one on the right is one of those pups. Noticed this little guy was watching me from the tree as I put some nuts down for the other one and he came onto the landing when the other one went down the steps a ways.

He seemed to move fine coming out of the tree and jumping onto the landing. He walked right up to the seeds and starting eating. When the other one came back for some more, and got too close (right after the picture I posted), he was a bit aggressive and snarled/barked . . . and the other one grabbed a seed and moved down a couple of steps. As for trying to catch it, I wouldn't have a clue how to do that, or what to do beyond that. If there are rescue folks that think that's best (or necessary) I'd leave that up to the experts.

I'll hope he comes back again so I can observe him more and get some additional photos to share.

[CritterMom]

Wow. Maybe he is really high functioning. His head is so startling looking I didn't expect to hear he was actually being dominant! That is good news. Any more info you get or pics would be of great interest here.

[Woodnight]

A little video I took when I snapped the photos earlier.


https://vimeo.com/343088076

[stepnstone]

A little video I took when I snapped the photos earlier.

https://vimeo.com/343088076
I believe you need to post your video to You tube or a like site to get a link then post link here.
It would be extreamly interesting to see it! Like everyone else I'm also shocked and a bit amazed!
The first thing that came to my mind was downs....

[Woodnight]

First attempt to post video didn't work. Trying again with a YouTube link. Sad to say that I haven't seen this little guy since. Guess I'm lucky to have been out and gotten the pics and video when I did. Hope he's doing well!
https://youtu.be/UV4pI0mh71E

https://youtu.be/UV4pI0mh71E

[stepnstone]

Thanks for the video.
I've never seen another squirrel like it.
Whatever it's challenges are obviously it has managed to
survive and still live it's squarely life. Unbelievable!

[Mel1959]

Definitely looks like a dwarf, but obviously a high functioning one. Wow! How special! :Love_Icon. According to Dr. E they are far more prevalent then she once thought.

[CritterMom]

You know, I don't know if this is a dwarf at all. He isn't SMALL. He doesn't move like one. He clearly has top status here - sitting in the middle of the food while the other one skitters around the edges grabbing fragments. I wish someone could send the link to the youtube video to Dr. E. I am wondering if this little one had and survived hydrocephalus but the condition left his head distorted from the swelling?

[TubeDriver]

I agree with your thoughts! That head does not really look dwarf-like to me, it just looks freakishly swollen. I wonder if this little one got stung a couple times by hornets or something like that?:dono


https://badfleas.com/how-long-does-a-bee-sting-last-on-a-dog/





You know, I don't know if this is a dwarf at all. He isn't SMALL. He doesn't move like one. He clearly has top status here - sitting in the middle of the food while the other one skitters around the edges grabbing fragments. I wish someone could send the link to the youtube video to Dr. E. I am wondering if this little one had and survived hydrocephalus but the condition left his head distorted from the swelling?

[Mel1959]

I see what you guys are saying, but the spacing of the ears is completely different, as is the shape of the head and the nose. This looks like a birth defect of some kind. There are many levels of dwarfism. I personally know of one that is very high functioning, but has only slightly shorter legs, doesn’t climb well, but is very “normal” in all other aspects, including size, yet has enough of the characteristics to be deemed a dwarf (achondroplasia) in my book.

Dr. E is on vacation until July. I will try to remember to send her this video and picture when she returns.

[CritterMom]

Oh, very probably a birth defect or perhaps something just after birth. This isn't any sort of tissue swelling, it is the skull - and it appears to be symmetrical to me, so it sure isn't from any sort of trauma. I think the ear spacing looks suspect because the head is so ROUND.

[Mel1959]

As we know not all dwarfs are passive. The last time I saw Stuart he was lunging at me through the cage! Had I stuck my hand inside he definitely would have attacked, and he’s pretty quick! Joey did his fair share of biting, too. :shark1

[HRT4SQRLS]

Joey did his fair share of biting, too. :shark1
He sure did. :tilt

[Chickenlegs]

Kensington was a shark. Tula bit when pissed. Punkin never bit but she would put her teeth on you and threaten. Four absolutely bites—not hard but in Four world it’s a bite. Squirrels bite. What an absolutely fascinating little squirrel—short stocky body, oddly shaped head, apparently fully funcrional—but odd. I think he’s not a dwarf but has some developmental issues that haven’t affected his ability to survive. I too wondered about hydrocephalus but he looks old enough that hydrocephalus would have taken a toll by now. I hope he sticks around. Um—there’s nothing around his neck is there!