Mother squirrel with a weird-looking nipple

[Finnsquirrel]

Hello,

I'm writing on the forum because we have a squirrel in our vicinity that we often see, and that seems to be having some sort of an issue at the moment. She often comes by to get a few nuts, and I've noticed that she seems to have a nipple that is very swollen. It almost looks like some sort of a maggot sticking out of her belly, but it's clearly one of her nipples. I've been wondering about that for some time, but now it also seems to be developing scabbing at the end of it. Maybe she has gnawed on it?

In any case, we know that this squirrel gave birth to a litter in the spring, and have suspected that she may in fact be pregnant again due to her belly growing again recently. The rest of her nipples look much smaller and are hard to notice. The same nipple on the other side is also somewhat larger, but not nearly as much as this one.

Would anyone have any idea about what's happening with her, and whether it is something to be alarmed about? The squirrel in question is an Eurasian red squirrel. Linked below are pictures of her situation.

https://imgbox.com/AcfAPa3S

https://imgbox.com/FnbI1FS7

[Spanky]

It almost looks like some sort of a maggot sticking out of her belly, but it's clearly one of her nipples.

That is a bot fly warble, which is a maggot (or a grub... regardless a larval stage of the botfly). It lives under the skin, the dark hole it it's breathing hole and where it will expel waste. Generally speaking, while gross and looking grossly uncomfortable, they are largely not dangerous. Only when the squirrel's health is compromised or they are infested with many (say more than 6 or 8) is there reason for concern. In a few weeks' time the grub will detach and fall out an the injury will heal remarkably quickly.

[Finnsquirrel]

That is a bot fly warble, which is a maggot (or a grub... regardless a larval stage of the botfly). It lives under the skin, the dark hole it it's breathing hole and where it will expel waste. Generally speaking, while gross and looking grossly uncomfortable, they are largely not dangerous. Only when the squirrel's health is compromised or they are infested with many (say more than 6 or 8) is there reason for concern. In a few weeks' time the grub will detach and fall out an the injury will heal remarkably quickly.



I see, thank you for the answer. That makes sense, we were just thinking that it was her nipple since it's exactly in that area, but it does look very much like a bot fly now larva that I looked it up. It's good to hear that it won't cause any serious issues. She seems to have another similar protrusion on the other side of her belly as well, but those are the only ones, so hopefully she will be alright.