Overweight squirrel

[Smokythesquirrel]

I have a very large juvenile male fox squirrel. Is this size genetic or could there be another underlying condition for this size? Thanks.

[sundoesshine]

Mine is a chunker too, we had to keep widening the recommended 3" hole in his nest box. It's 4" now.
This past summer, our regular wilds became obese. It's the first year they've ever become this big. Wondered it they were eating corn from a chicken coop down the road or something. They've finally slimmed down to normal now.

[Spanky]

I have a very large juvenile male fox squirrel. Is this size genetic or could there be another underlying condition for this size? Thanks.

I would think the logical place to start is diet: Can you share his diet (what he actually eats)?

[sundoesshine]

I'm sure our rescue is large because of bad diet. My research at the time didn't explain correct feeding so nuts and seeds were his mainstay unfortunately.

[Mel1959]

So what are you feeding now? Are you providing some type of rodent block? This is a necessary item in a captive squirrels diet. Don’t feed any junk food.

Are your plans to release this guy come Spring? If so, he will slim down once he’s placed in a release cage. Mine never seem to eat as much once they’re outside in preparation for release.

[Smokythesquirrel]

He eats a proper captive squirrel diet, of course. Just like his sisters, who are normal weight.

[Mel1959]

He eats a proper captive squirrel diet, of course. Just like his sisters, who are normal weight.

That response didn’t really answer the question, that was asked twice, about what his diet was like.

It could be genetic or it could be because he’s male.

[Scooterzmom]

Mine is a chunker too, we had to keep widening the recommended 3" hole in his nest box. It's 4" now.
This past summer, our regular wilds became obese. It's the first year they've ever become this big. Wondered it they were eating corn from a chicken coop down the road or something. They've finally slimmed down to normal now.

My fan club outside has become huge this year also. I told my husband this fall "It's going to be a long and cold winter". Thing is that squirrels seem better at forecasting winters than the environmental specialists - no kidding. My guys out there look like ground hogs, so huge they waddle. Every year it seems we can tell what kind of winter we'll get by the size of them.

My boy Hami (one of my NRs) used to get up to over a kilo (more than 2.2 lbs) in the winter. Every spring/summer though he used to go back down to a more normal weight, around 750gr to 800 - yes, our grey squirrels here are big... at least he always was: we had to enlarge his entrance hole to 4" also, from the get-go.

[sundoesshine]

I told my husband this fall "It's going to be a long and cold winter". Thing is that squirrels seem better at forecasting winters than the environmental specialists - no kidding. My guys out there look like ground hogs, so huge they waddle.

Yes, they do waddle! I never even thought to make that connection about them forecasting the winter. Thank goodness they have those extra inches for this weather.

[Smokythesquirrel]

80 % Mazuri Rodent block,20% wild food, Osage Apple, 1 small piece of fruit in the morning. 1 nut at night. No caching at all.