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Thread: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

  1. #1
    Squirtsmomma0929 Guest

    Default Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Hello!

    I am new the squirrel community. We recently rescued a baby round-tailed Ground Squirrel. He's into the weaning stage, eating fresh veggies: romaine lettuce, carrots, red cabbage and cucumbers (those are his favorite) as well as a milk replacement I make fresh. He's doing absolutely fantastic!

    The last couple nights he's been waking up in the night whistling SO loud. We usually can feed him and he will go back to bed but tonight he keeps waking up. I'm not sure what's wrong. He has a fresh salad, he's been given his milk, he has fresh water available and his heating pad is on. I sometimes wonder if he's lonely. Any ideas?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Could be...does he have some stuffies to snuggle with?
    Island Rehabber
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    NEGLECT IS ABUSE.

    "Better one day in the trees, than a lifetime in a cage."

    '...and the greatest of these, is Love. '

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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Aw, these babies are so freaking cute! My mother lives in Tucson and the RTGS are one of the things I look forward to seeing. They look like Japanese anime creatures with those eyes.

    I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't looking for his family - normally he would be with siblings at this stage. If he isn't showing signs of physical distress, this is likely the case.

    We get VERY few people with these little guys so we sure would love to hear more and any pics you have will be squeeeeeed over for sure.

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  6. #4
    Squirtsmomma0929 Guest

    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by island rehabber View Post
    Could be...does he have some stuffies to snuggle with?
    He does not. I wasn't sure what would be safe to give him. I take him out as often as I can to give him love and play. What kind of toys and enrichment can I put with him?

    He's transferring from his small hamster cage to a much bigger space today. Well... big compared to him. I plan on putting him in a large tank with a ventilated lid. Any ideas for bedding? Should I use dirt and let him tunnel? Carefresh bedding? I've read to put him in a multi-level home but with him being a "ground" squirrel I feel that wouldn't a be a good fit.

    Also, how do you tell the males from the females. I call him and he but I really have no idea. 😂

  7. #5
    Squirtsmomma0929 Guest

    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    Aw, these babies are so freaking cute! My mother lives in Tucson and the RTGS are one of the things I look forward to seeing. They look like Japanese anime creatures with those eyes.

    I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't looking for his family - normally he would be with siblings at this stage. If he isn't showing signs of physical distress, this is likely the case.

    We get VERY few people with these little guys so we sure would love to hear more and any pics you have will be squeeeeeed over for sure.
    That's what I was thinking. I feel so bad for him being alone. But we've had him since he was barely able to walk. I don't think he'd know how to socialize with his own kind anymore. I mean, he comes to his name and whistles in delight when we come to get him from his cage. I think we're all a bit attached. 😂❤️

    His first picture with us when we got him from my mother in law.
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    The next day.
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    I'll take a recent one when I get off work. He's so sweet and when he chirps at us it just melts your heart. ❣️

  8. #6
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    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    He is adorable. I am so jealous! They DO climb - not like tree squirrels, but I stood and watched one at Sabino Canyon clean darned near every new spring leaf off a small mesquite tree and he had no issues going up. If he was mine, I would make him the largest cage I could, and see how he felt about some PVC pipe tunnels that link up with other tunnels and end in little "dens." If he likes them, you can bury them in Carefresh, or I would probably use a bunch of pieces of fleece material, all piled up on the floor to be rooted through. That way, on cleaning day you just yank it out, toss it in the washer, and replace it with your OTHER big pile of fleece.

    He would probably love a dirt digging box someplace it doesn't make a huge mess. I would get him inbto a cage of some sort sooner rather than later though - aquariums, even with an open top, have lousy air circulation.

    I would also do some hunting around for some prairie dog groups on the internet. His diet is closer to theirs than the tree squirrels we are used to. That means lots of hay and grasses. I have no idea if they eat insects but it is something you should know.

    I have seen males with just enormous "man pillows" before in the wild but it is possible that the testicles blow up big for mating season only and then all but disappear after that. A lot of small burrowing rodents do that - I think it is probably wiser to have them sucked in instead of dragging on the ground all the time! If you can take a picture of his privates for us it may help...

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  10. #7
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    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Just one half of one super-worm daily.

    After reaching maturity one whole worm daily.

    They also eat adult insects.

    This company carries both.

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

  11. #8
    Squirtsmomma0929 Guest

    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    He is adorable. I am so jealous! They DO climb - not like tree squirrels, but I stood and watched one at Sabino Canyon clean darned near every new spring leaf off a small mesquite tree and he had no issues going up. If he was mine, I would make him the largest cage I could, and see how he felt about some PVC pipe tunnels that link up with other tunnels and end in little "dens." If he likes them, you can bury them in Carefresh, or I would probably use a bunch of pieces of fleece material, all piled up on the floor to be rooted through. That way, on cleaning day you just yank it out, toss it in the washer, and replace it with your OTHER big pile of fleece.

    He would probably love a dirt digging box someplace it doesn't make a huge mess. I would get him inbto a cage of some sort sooner rather than later though - aquariums, even with an open top, have lousy air circulation.

    I would also do some hunting around for some prairie dog groups on the internet. His diet is closer to theirs than the tree squirrels we are used to. That means lots of hay and grasses. I have no idea if they eat insects but it is something you should know.

    I have seen males with just enormous "man pillows" before in the wild but it is possible that the testicles blow up big for mating season only and then all but disappear after that. A lot of small burrowing rodents do that - I think it is probably wiser to have them sucked in instead of dragging on the ground all the time! If you can take a picture of his privates for us it may help...
    Oh yes, he definitely climbs! I just know they prefer the ground! 😂 Do you mean line the bottom of the tank with fleece and put the PVC on top? I like the idea of building little pvc tunnels and covering them woth carefresh. Seems more realistic for him. I know they usually burrow into tunnels already made, little burrow scavengers they are. 😂❤️

    I have his diet down. I found an excellent resource for that. 80% of their diet is greens since finishing water in the desert is hard. That's where they get a lot of their water intake. The other 20% is insects and seeds/nuts. I'm sure he'd love some hay though too! I raise/show rabbits so I have a steady supply of hay around.

    I'll get a picture of him in a bit! He's a wiggly little thing. 🤗🤗

  12. #9
    Squirtsmomma0929 Guest

    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Here's the best picture I could get of his privates. I know it's blurry, sorry!!!
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  13. #10
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    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    I meant to get your "tunnels" set up and then cover and conceal all but the openings with your fleece. I usually sit and cut the pieces up to about 12" squares so they can tunnel through it without getting all tangled up. The use of fleece is because it isn't woven like regular fabric and doesn't ravel and make threads that could get wrapped around anything. The carefresh is wonderful but you will use a lot on a fair sized cage and that starts to run into money! If you decide to go this route, a tip: After your fleece is all cut up, put it in the dryer for a while and empty the lint trap ever 10 minutes or so or you will have fleece bits everywhere! The dryer does a wonderful job of sucking them all out!

    I am going to guess that he is a she. What you are thinking is a penis is, I think, way too close to the anus to be a penis. The penis is higher on the belly normally. Our rule of thumb with tree squirrels is that if you aren't sure, it is a girl because boys are pretty obvious. Not that I said "guess" though - if a scrotum suddenly develops...

    What the heck is his/her name?

    Lola?

  14. #11
    Squirtsmomma0929 Guest

    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    I meant to get your "tunnels" set up and then cover and conceal all but the openings with your fleece. I usually sit and cut the pieces up to about 12" squares so they can tunnel through it without getting all tangled up. The use of fleece is because it isn't woven like regular fabric and doesn't ravel and make threads that could get wrapped around anything. The carefresh is wonderful but you will use a lot on a fair sized cage and that starts to run into money! If you decide to go this route, a tip: After your fleece is all cut up, put it in the dryer for a while and empty the lint trap ever 10 minutes or so or you will have fleece bits everywhere! The dryer does a wonderful job of sucking them all out!

    I am going to guess that he is a she. What you are thinking is a penis is, I think, way too close to the anus to be a penis. The penis is higher on the belly normally. Our rule of thumb with tree squirrels is that if you aren't sure, it is a girl because boys are pretty obvious. Not that I said "guess" though - if a scrotum suddenly develops...

    What the heck is his/her name?

    Lola?
    Got it! Thank you.

    I never checked! I just called her a him from the time we got her. 😂🤷 I guess it makes sense though. It's the same for rabbit sexing and their parts are SO close together.

    Her name is Squirt. 😂❣️

    Oh and here's yesterday's picture during our play time!
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  15. #12
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    Default Re: Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

    My roundtails are in large multilevel cages and Climb on every level and climb the inside of the cage just like any other squirrel their fav is their wheel they get going so fast the cage starts rockin and I do use carefresh only because I had a ton donated to me for my rabbit rescue .once that runs out I will prob go back to terramigo compressed wood stove crumbles which is pretty cheap $8 for a 40lb bag I have woven straw round huts that look kind of like a cocoon I zip tie them to the cage and pour a ton of carefresh anywhere in cage with some hay and let them design their own nests and spread out the carefresh themselves . I have one RT in a critter nation cage with a 10” deep tray I had a friend design that has a clear front plexi glass and I put sand /dirt all the way to the top and I can see him digging thru the front plexiglass kind of like an ant farm it’s pretty neat they are fun little critters for a bit but i can no longer handle any of the RT or the rock squirrels they all became extremely aggressive and try to get at me every time I’m near the cage They are very angry little booger’s. . I rehabbed them from tinies and they were the most precious puddin pops ever, they had the most wonderful sweet sounding chirp when they love you , but that all changed now it’s an attack chatter lol . I hope ur little one stays sweet . I so miss scratching their tiny ear holes when they’d let me cradle them.maybe if they didn’t pick up on each other’s scent they might not get so wicked so maybe urs will end up staying friendly I hope the .only one who loves me still is my antelope ground squirrel but he’s very much on The “slow” side. He was found walking in circles backwards . I’m actually a longtime cottontail /jackrabbit rehabber for East valley Wildlife but couple years ago we added squirrels and woodrats into the mix so I don’t have a ton under my belt with squirrels but if you’d like to pm me maybe we can bounce some ground squirrel questions/advice off of each other I.know when I first came on this forum there was an awesome ground squirrel rehabber that helped guide me her username is fireweed I think .

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