I'm new; any help appreciated

[TomahawkFlyers]

Craig - the boys consider the three of you a colony. They are now of an age where they see you as a full-on playmate. Still the Alpha, to be sure, but playmate nonetheless. Nipping, as much of a drag as it is for you, is part of how they play. Have you considered rubbing pure (nothing added, including sweeteners) peppermint oil on the outer perimeter of your ears? Harmless to all of you, but the majority of rodents are repulsed by it. Thanks for the update!

Jamie

[Craig]

That's nice. Now I kind of feel bad for telling them to stop playing. I'll be sure to try the peppermint oil! As usual, more updates will be on the way!

[TomahawkFlyers]

To be clear - they're not biting, but snurfing and nibbling?

[Craig]

When they were jumping up and biting at my ear, it was seemingly more with rapid movements. It could have been because I had a bump on my ear from an injury and they may have thought it to be foreign. Unfortunately that also made it hurt more when they would nip at it since it was still sore. I haven't used peppermint oil yet and it seems I won't have to. They haven't done it since I wrote that post.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Excellent. They can be little vampires - gross as it is, every NR we've had will go after a scab (ON ME!) bite it off, and then run away to chow down. OUCH! Not cannibals - vampires. Maybe zombies.

[Craig]

Zombies sound accurate. It seemed to stop as my ear healed so I think the two were correlated. Like sharks to blood.

Roofus and Tyrant love jumping around. When I bring them downstairs, they jump on furniture, on the ground, on other people, all over! It's quite fun, though sometimes they get away from me and I find them on a bathrobe, a curtain, or back at their cage.

One was even downstairs after I lost track of him in my room with my door closed! I put a towel against the bottom of the door now.

Roofus still chirps sometimes randomly. I'm not sure the reason anyways. At the end of second video link is a clip of one doing flips in his cage. Not sure the reasoning for this, though I've seen videos of them doing similar stunts in small cages with little enrichment, I wonder if that means he's bored.

Here are some more videos! My phone is just full of them now. It seems it will continue to be that way!

https://youtube.com/shorts/_0g7y-moY...Ea7d8QIJfcSjsF

https://youtube.com/shorts/DpRmaEUZw...gKY3SVAnkveDZp

[Craig]

I haven't taken many more clips lately, but I've enough to compile another video. Tyrant still takes formula, as of lately, he usually takes 2 mL in the mornings and would rather eat block in the evenings. I made a new batch of block on the 8th. I was a bit more precise with the cuts on this batch. Wheras I usually cut them to their upper limits of 3/4 inches thick, these cubes were cut almost all on or very close to half an inch, making them a bit smaller than what they're used to.

One of them began doing his alerting chirp again last night, quiet at first then loudly. I'm still not sure why they do this, although I still have suspicions it's learned behavior because they're used to me checking on them when they do. Sure enough, I got out of bed and opened the cage and they stopped, letting me pet them etc.

https://youtube.com/shorts/un5WneJQX...1AWB0_ruE4vB0x

[TomahawkFlyers]

Hey, Craig! Sorry I missed commenting on your last post - with the government uproar, Pam has been run ragged. Being a better than average husband ;-) I go along for the ride.

On the chirping, keep in mind that those two guys can see and hear things that none of us can. When they do see or hear something threatening, they alert and every other flyer in the colony freezes to blend into the background until the perceived threat has passed. That said, chirping that does not freeze the colony - based on what I've witnessed - can be the flyer's version of a tomcat on the fence at night yowling for the good time he's likely not going to get. Either way, it is a thing that flyers do - nothing to worry about.

You know, Craig, when I was a boy and got unusually precise or fiddly with something, my step father used to holler out: "Mama!? There's something wrong with that boy." If it floats your boat to use calipers and a micrometer when measuring to cut blocks, knock yourself out. Keep in mind that the boys don't register size - they just sniff and think to themselves "Food!" Keep in mind, too, that I'm yanking your chain.

Pam and I do so enjoy the videos and updates you post. We'll make a point of watching the two most recent tomorrow night while our kids are out and makin' mischief. Pam remarked the other day that she wished you'd have been able to come to the Gathering. We both very much would like to meet you and your family - the Dynamic Duo included. Perhaps next year will work out. In the meantime, keep doing what you're doing. You are a fine young man and the boys are lucky to have come into your life.

Jamie

[Craig]

That is really interesting to learn about why they chirp and how it aids to their survival. Good to know they're alright and it's perfectly normal! Could definitely just be a noise that spooked them.

That is quite a funny story, and I see where your step father is coming from. Funny enough though, my dad and I were actually discussing in length about the benefits of cutting the blocks on the smaller side if continuing a two block per squirrel diet, and we determined I could maybe have the batch last 2-3 months as opposed to 1-2 months by making smaller cuts. It was quite funny actually as we both were reaching our answers using different calculations.

Thank you for the kind words! The Gathering sounds like it would be a great time! Hopefully next year I will be able to make arrangements to be there. Take lots of pictures if you can!

Here is another round of videos! I love these little guys and I think they know it. At one point, I put them in the cage to go lay down and one reached his paws through the bars to try to unlatch the gate. I had to pull them back out for a bit, haha.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZmmgDIEycOo

[Mel1959]

Cute video! The little guy wrestling with his little blanket reminded me of my guy, Gizmo. He would like to play tug-of-war with his little blanket. I’d give it little shakes back and forth while he held on with his teeth. He couldn’t get enough of that game.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Craig - were you going to send me those two uncompressed pictures via email? Did you already? I don't see them. On the road to VA and getting bored driving. I can open the laptop onto the steering wheel and do the required editing while enroute. Oh wait. Pam's driving.

That is really interesting to learn about why they chirp and how it aids to their survival. Good to know they're alright and it's perfectly normal! Could definitely just be a noise that spooked them.

That is quite a funny story, and I see where your step father is coming from. Funny enough though, my dad and I were actually discussing in length about the benefits of cutting the blocks on the smaller side if continuing a two block per squirrel diet, and we determined I could maybe have the batch last 2-3 months as opposed to 1-2 months by making smaller cuts. It was quite funny actually as we both were reaching our answers using different calculations.

Thank you for the kind words! The Gathering sounds like it would be a great time! Hopefully next year I will be able to make arrangements to be there. Take lots of pictures if you can!

Here is another round of videos! I love these little guys and I think they know it. At one point, I put them in the cage to go lay down and one reached his paws through the bars to try to unlatch the gate. I had to pull them back out for a bit, haha.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZmmgDIEycOo

[Craig]

Craig - were you going to send me those two uncompressed pictures via email? Did you already? I don't see them. On the road to VA and getting bored driving. I can open the laptop onto the steering wheel and do the required editing while enroute. Oh wait. Pam's driving.

Oh whoops! I forgot to send it. I'll do that now. Editing while driving; now that would be a sight to see, but not a good one! Good thing Pam is driving! Safe travels if you haven't already made it.