13 Lined Ground Squirrels Need Information and Intro

[The_Duchess84]

Hi everyone!
A couple of weeks ago I was on a bike ride and came upon a few dead baby 13 lined ground squirrels. I then saw one lying in the road that was still alive. He did not have his eyes open yet so I place him near the closest hole and hoped the mother would find him. I went back over an hour later, it was dark outside, and the baby was still out. I figured the mother must have died so I took him home. The next day my dad, who was with me, found another baby in the road in the same location with more dead ones around. I have bottle fed these babies and they are thriving! Their eyes are open and they are eating primarily on their own now. However they are far to tame for me to release them, so I have decided that I will keep them.

I was wondering if anyone here has any tips or information on keeping 13 lined ground squirrels. I know they like to burrow. I gave them paper towel rolls which they love to tunnel through. I also got them a “play pen” for them to run around in. They now have separate homes but I let them play together in the play pen. I learned that they like their own space.

I am glad to have found this group as some of these forums were very helpful in my caring for these orphans!
Christine

[olorin19]

I have bottle fed these babies and they are thriving! Their eyes are open and they are eating primarily on their own now. However they are far to tame for me to release them, so I have decided that I will keep them.



Never heard of 13 Lined Ground Squirrels so looked them up. Very cute!

Based on tree squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons: Many critters will be quite tame as babies but sooner or later will be plenty capable of being released.

I have no idea with these guys what age that might be. With a eastern grey squirrel that is born in the summer or early fall it is generally a good idea to overwinter them for late spring release if you live in a cold climate. Those born in the late winter or early spring are typically released in late summer or early fall. Most will wait until at least four months old before releasing.

Yet other animals like bunnies are on their own at much younger ages.

I would suggest as a starting point that you research the age at which these guys would be on their own, i.e. how long do they stay with their mother. Also check how old they are when weaned, etc.

Another area to research will be whether they are best raised together or whether they need to be separated. Some animals like chipmunks are really aggressive with each other after reaching a certain age.

Hopefully someone here will have experience with these guys.

[CritterMom]

You know, I have been a regular here since 2009 (!!!) and NEVER saw anyone here with thirteen lined ground squirrels, and this week we have had four!

I suspect that socially they are like chipmunks who went crazy with all the lines. That means that at adulthood, or just before, they would need to be separated. I have many chippies in my yard (MANY!!) and their life from what I can see consists of finding food for their giant hibernation food stash and fighting with every other chippie in the yard who accidentally enters their territory! They are very serious - if an animal couldn't get away I think it would not end well.

As far as enrichment for the cage, it isn't pretty and doesn't look "natural" but while PVC pipe is marketed to plumbers, it and all of the wild fittings you can get are clearly made for small burrowing critters to play in. Just make sure the pipe diameter is large enough for them to turn around in the pipe.

[olorin19]

You know, I have been a regular here since 2009 (!!!) and NEVER saw anyone here with thirteen lined ground squirrels, and this week we have had four!

I suspect that socially they are like chipmunks who went crazy with all the lines. That means that at adulthood, or just before, they would need to be separated. I have many chippies in my yard (MANY!!) and their life from what I can see consists of finding food for their giant hibernation food stash and fighting with every other chippie in the yard who accidentally enters their territory! They are very serious - if an animal couldn't get away I think it would not end well.

As far as enrichment for the cage, it isn't pretty and doesn't look "natural" but while PVC pipe is marketed to plumbers, it and all of the wild fittings you can get are clearly made for small burrowing critters to play in. Just make sure the pipe diameter is large enough for them to turn around in the pipe.

My yard is also full of chipmunks. They are quite unafraid of us, and some are tame enough to eat sunflower seeds from our hands. But pleasant as they are with us, they can be pretty vicious with each other!

I read a bit on the 13 lined ground squirrels yesterday and found this, which suggested that separation might be necessary as they get older:

The thirteen-lined ground squirrels have solitary habits, shown by agonistic behaviors to squirrels invading their own areas, which they've evolved, requiring less energy and the risk of getting injuired. Tail-flicking is also evolved from their solitary habits, which allows them not to violate other squirrel individuals' space.

[Diggie's Friend]

The Thirteen Striped Ground Squirrel, common to both the midwestern and mountain States, is not a protected species in MN.


Their stripes start to appear when they are about 12 days old and their eyes open at 28 to 30 days. They are weaned and independent at 6 to 12 weeks. These squirrels become sexually mature at 9 to 10 months old.

In captivity they may live up to 7 to 9 years.

https://wildlife-damage-management.extension.org/what-do-thirteen-lined-ground-squirrels-eat/


Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are omnivorous. At least 50% of their diet is animal matter—grasshoppers, wireworms, caterpillars, beetles, cutworms, ants, insect eggs, mice, earthworms, small birds, and other thirteen-lined ground squirrels. The vegetative portion of the diet includes seeds, green shoots, flower heads, roots, vegetables, fruits, and cereal grains. They rarely drink water, depending instead on water contained in their food. They cache large quantities of seeds and grass but never meat. The cached food may be eaten during periods of bad weather or in the late autumn and early spring when other food is scarce.A challenging diet; they consume 50 percent animal food sources and 50 percent plant food sources.

And though they are known to eat most everything; the down side is that they could potentially predate their siblings if they don't get sufficient animal sourced foods to support their high metabolism.

This species is also noted to be very territorial.

See if you can locate a rehabber who can provide a large cage for this many squirrels; but don't ID yourself till you are sure they can care for them.
For some rehabbers if they have no time or space to raise a litter may opt to euthanize.

[Diggie's Friend]

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/thirteenlinedgroundsquirrel.html

Though in a prairie habitat there isn't allot for them to climb; in the Rocky Mtn. region, they have been seen climbing up high in trees in search of bird eggs.

Soft boiled eggs cooled to room temperature than chopped, will likely be one of their favorite animal foods. Chicken boiled, and grubworms are also source you can offer these squirrels once they are weaned.

Camille's Vita-mealies carries both live and freeze dried mealworms raised with vegetables and calcium added.

https://vita-mealie.weebly.com/dried-superworm-listings.html

https://vita-mealie.weebly.com/pg-1--listings-for-mealworms-buy-it-now.html

[Diggie's Friend]

Save for dairy sources, since most all animal sourced foods are typically higher in phosphorus than calcium; supplementing the diet daily with powdered calcium added into a wet food, will be needful to offset the otherwise higher Phosphorus to Calcium whole diet ratio for the 50/50 ratio of vegetable/grain and animal food sourced diet of 13 Striped Ground Squirrels once they wean, in order to prevent the development of Metabolic Bone Disease.

Calcium citrate, a compound of calcium Citrate, preserves more calcium from the diet to remain available to the bones of mammals, by keeping calcium soluble in the bloodstream.

"Pure Bulk" offers, Calcium citrate powder produced in the USA. with third party analysis. This source is a better choice than the, "NOW" brand, because it is lower in volume measure for equal elemental calcium value. https://purebulk.com/products/calcium-citrate-usa

[Diggie's Friend]

The overview I've shared of the juvenile and adult diet of this ground squirrel species, was to give you an idea on what their diet should look like once the babies wean vs. that of the, 'Scatterhoarder' tree squirrel species featured on the board that is significantly differs from.

[Vedition]

Save for dairy sources, since most all animal sourced foods are typically higher in phosphorus than calcium; supplementing the diet daily with powdered calcium added into a wet food, will be needful to offset the otherwise higher Phosphorus to Calcium whole diet ratio for the 50/50 ratio of vegetable/grain and animal food sourced diet of 13 Striped Ground Squirrels once they wean, in order to prevent the development of Metabolic Bone Disease.

Calcium citrate, a compound of calcium Citrate, preserves more calcium from the diet to remain available to the bones of mammals, by keeping calcium soluble in the bloodstream.

"Pure Bulk" offers, Calcium citrate powder produced in the USA. with third party analysis. This source is a better choice than the, "NOW" brand, because it is lower in volume measure for equal elemental calcium value. https://purebulk.com/products/calcium-citrate-usa

I am currently fostering a 13 striped and weaning. They have loved Henry’s blocks so far and done well with vegetables. I will introduce protein source next week, but I’m curious if you could tell me how much veggies/protein I should be providing? For example 1 Tbsp of each?
I don’t think she understands the concept of being full, so I want to make sure she isn’t getting bloat.

[The_Duchess84]

Save for dairy sources, since most all animal sourced foods are typically higher in phosphorus than calcium; supplementing the diet daily with powdered calcium added into a wet food, will be needful to offset the otherwise higher Phosphorus to Calcium whole diet ratio for the 50/50 ratio of vegetable/grain and animal food sourced diet of 13 Striped Ground Squirrels once they wean, in order to prevent the development of Metabolic Bone Disease.

Calcium citrate, a compound of calcium Citrate, preserves more calcium from the diet to remain available to the bones of mammals, by keeping calcium soluble in the bloodstream.

"Pure Bulk" offers, Calcium citrate powder produced in the USA. with third party analysis. This source is a better choice than the, "NOW" brand, because it is lower in volume measure for equal elemental calcium value. https://purebulk.com/products/calcium-citrate-usa

Thank you! I did not know this about their calcium needs. I appreciate the link to a good product. My boys are doing fantastic I have been picking grass with seed and some wild flowers they seem to enjoy. I give them spinach and other leafy greens along with occasional carrots. I read that kitten food was a good source of protein for them and they do eat that. I have given them eggs and some meat pieces. I also got them each a wheel to run in and they love it! I found some cages that I thinks will work great they are supposed to arrive tomorrow.

[Diggie's Friend]

I wouldn't go with kitten food. Camille's Vita-mealies is the best source of dried and live insect sources.

Organic pastured raised with non soy and non corn feed chicken, turkey, and eggs.

Flying squirrels are another species of squirrels that consumed a greater proportion of animal sourced foods in their diet.

Offer boil or baked organic raised chicken with skin removed; also turkey.

For eggs, boiled or baked with skin and bones and cartilage removed.

Soft boil to where the white is fully cooked and the yolk congeals upon cooling.

The reason is that contaminants end up from chickens fed fishmeal (heavy metals) and from soy that has been found in the yolk of the eggs of chickens supported with soy and fishmeal based chicken feed. Here is a source from the Midwest that produces organic and soy and corn free chicken eggs.


Northeast - organic non-soy, non-corn fed, pastured raised, etc.. egg source:

https://yourfamilyfarmer.com/about

Midwest - organic non-soy, non-corn fed, pastured, etc.. raised egg source:

https://frankiesfreerangefoods.com/products/pasture-raised-eggs-corn-and-soy-free

[Diggie's Friend]

Just a side note on Chicken. White meat is a bit higher in protein than the dark meat, and dark meat is a bit higher in fat than the white meat. For the purpose of supporting this young one, I would go for the dark meat, for it is somewhat lower in phosphorus than the white meat. For though you want a diet with 50/50 percent animal and and plant food sources, you also want a diet that is higher in Calcium than Phosphorus content to prevent the development of metabolic bone disease.


Light poultry meat contains slightly more phosphorus than dark meat.. Cooking methods can also affect phosphorus content of the meat. Roasting preserves the most phosphorus, while boiling reduces levels by about 25% ( 6 ).