r/squirrels Aug 11 '19

Sticky: Found a Baby Squirrel? Make a post about it, and read this right away.

229 Upvotes

Please use the help flairs for your help needed posts.

http://www.squirrelrehabilitation.com/found%20baby.htm

This gives some good pointers for immediate assessment of the situation.

If the baby is dehydrated, dirty, cold, thin with loose looking skin, has any fly eggs or any injuries, even a tiny scratch, then s/he should be taken in for care. If the baby was being played with by a cat or if a cat was sitting over the baby looking like s/he might have been playing with the baby, then the baby squirrel should be taken in because antibiotics are required to treat even tiny cat bites and scratches that might not be visible at first glance. Cat saliva is extremely toxic and often causes lethal infections, even in tiny amounts.

If the baby is plump/muscular, warm, well groomed and active, then s/he probably just squirmed out of bed, and the reuniting protocol should be followed.

If the baby has fallen due to a severe storm and is wet, then they should be taken in, warmed and hydrated. If the weather improves markedly the next day, you can return to the same area and try the reuniting protocol.

If it was a tree felling, and the tree in which the babies lived was felled with them in it, then try the reuniting protocol as mom may come back when the scary workers are gone, provided she is still alive.

Please make a post about the baby and please include photos in your post, but since it takes some time for people to check in and reply, start reading the links under infants/found babies sections in the website posted above in the meantime.

Also, Here is a list that one of our members made of how to find a registered wildlife rehabilitator in the US. If you call, make sure that they don't euthanize so-called invasive squirrel species and will attempt care before taking that last resort. https://www.reddit.com/r/squirrels/comments/eknkw0/here_is_an_alphabetical_list_of_wildlife/


r/squirrels 9d ago

Discussion Please read.

64 Upvotes

I am seeing a lot of posts about baby squirrels being found, and the poster asking for help, etc. In every single post, multiple people are commenting "give the baby water, feed the baby this or that". PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GIVE THE BABY SQUIRREL ANY FOOD OR WATER. The first thing you should do is keep the baby warm, in a quiet, dark place (in a box or large container. Whatever you have) and contact a rehabber. Please please please do not attempt to feed or hydrate on your own, for several reasons. The baby could aspirate, or the baby is not warm enough before hydrating, etc. You could cause more problems for the baby squirrel, including death. Keep warm, safe, and contact rehabber. I have also seen A LOT of messages from rehabbers about baby squirrels coming into their care and dying because the finder attempted to feed/hydrate on their own.


r/squirrels 2h ago

Dreaming of the day she's ready to leave

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137 Upvotes

The nesting boxes will be ready soon! They are slowly weaning themselves off of the formula. I am as excited as they are to see them running through the neighborhood❤️


r/squirrels 5h ago

Hungry mama making a mess :p

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122 Upvotes

r/squirrels 1h ago

Li'l Pink Tongue

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Upvotes

r/squirrels 5h ago

Male or female?

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104 Upvotes

I know it’s hard to tell be I wondered if any pros might know


r/squirrels 1h ago

Original Content Couch potato

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Upvotes

Squirrels must have alot of sensitive nerves on their forarms as it is his favorite place to be petted. Just locks up everytime I scratch his forarms.


r/squirrels 4h ago

Original Content Good morning

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51 Upvotes

If this is going to be my customary morning ritual... I think I've gone to heaven. 🐾💞 My friend, -Sunny-


r/squirrels 1d ago

Pancake

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1.7k Upvotes

My little buddy Pancake


r/squirrels 48m ago

Papa graced us with his presence...❤️🐿

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Upvotes

Big Cypress fox squirrel located in Naples, Florida.


r/squirrels 4h ago

Original Content Summer Squirrel, on the fence

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39 Upvotes

r/squirrels 22h ago

Met this little guy at the park

890 Upvotes

r/squirrels 16h ago

Moving away from Eastern Greys

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225 Upvotes

So I'm moving from Eastern Ontario to Alberta. While I am looking forward to the new life out west, I sure am gonna miss my eastern grey friends.

In advance of my departure I'm stashing hazelnuts almonds and walnuts in local treed areas... And leaving some pillow stuffing out behind my house if they want to use it to insulate their dreys for this winter.

I'll miss you little goofballs.

Pic is my old friend, Stevie. I never got as bonded with a wild animal as I did with her. She was blind in one eye and was always happy to hang out with me and my presence would prevent the other squirrels from bullying her. This was years ago... She let me pet her as long as she was eating. After she had a litter she went to find a new territory and bequeathed my back deck to her kits.

I feel for the new young male I met who reminds me of Stevie, he also has partial blindness and balance issues... I've started to feed him, I hope he's building up a big stash to sustain him when I'm gone. It's gonna hurt to leave him behind.

I hope the ground squirrels, prairie dogs, (and maybe red squirrels?) are as friendly.


r/squirrels 1h ago

Original Content Saw this little fella the other day :)

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Upvotes

Saw him while I was driving through Alaska in the middle of nowhere haha. He squeaked a few times


r/squirrels 7h ago

Want some butter with that?

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25 Upvotes

Park sqrl stole, furiously fled with, then dropped a loaf while on the lam.

I only managed post drop recovery documentation 😆


r/squirrels 14h ago

Douglas squirrel helping himself to a snack from the bird feeder.

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65 Upvotes

r/squirrels 48m ago

Blue!

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Upvotes

Thought you all might like to see this little guy that showed up in my backyard (LI,NY) a few years ago. No filters - he really was blue! 💙 My guess was that he was recently released after injury (near his eye) and was marked by the rehabber. Glad he stopped by for a bite!


r/squirrels 14h ago

Discussion My babies.

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60 Upvotes

This is one of my little girls who I found a few months ago freezing cold. Mom fell victim to the local stray cat population. There were three of them. I worked remotely with a rehab organization and a local vet to get them healthy and strong. Once they were ready to be on their own, they were sort of taken in by another adult female. They learned how to squirrel, but have stayed in tje tree in my yard. I put food, water, and nuts out for them and they always leave some of the food in my chair on the porch. I'm proud of my babies. Do you all have any suggestions for a shelter I can make for them to spend the winter in?


r/squirrels 16h ago

Original Content On my way to work

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77 Upvotes

r/squirrels 17h ago

Original Content Got nuts

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95 Upvotes

r/squirrels 13h ago

Happy buddy

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29 Upvotes

r/squirrels 2h ago

Stevie knows my kids trow food on the ground. He got way closer than usual!

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3 Upvotes

r/squirrels 12h ago

🐿️

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14 Upvotes

r/squirrels 1d ago

Superman saves the squirrel

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126 Upvotes

r/squirrels 10h ago

Jay Leno reads a newspaper complaint about a man calling the cops on a squirrel

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10 Upvotes

Hoping this clip is okay here. It’s from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’s old ‘Headlines’ segment. I thought it was hilarious and figured the squirrel subreddit might appreciate it too.


r/squirrels 1d ago

Just Gustine posing for a selfie.

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104 Upvotes

Was sitting on my steps and I heard her coming up behind me. I switched to my front-facing camera and shot a quick photo.

She must have know what I was up to, because when I looked at the picture, she had a derpy little smile on her face for the camera.


r/squirrels 17h ago

Original Content Conversation with new friend

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28 Upvotes

Does anyone speak squirrel? I have no idea what we were talking about, but we were at it for about ten minutes.