[Skybird]

One has to make a strict difference between the Northamerican grey squirrels and the European red squirrels. I do not like the grey ones either. But the red ones are irresistable, smaller, cuter, gentlier and by far not as aggressive. Grey ones bully them where both populations meet, the greys are bigger, tougher, more aggressive, also carry squirrel pox virusses, that kill the red ones which die a really horribble, suffering death that lasts for two weeks (because it eats their face skin and prevents them from using their mouths and being able to eat anymore).

I am gentle to the red ones, but the grey ones I would kill, since they are indeed kind of tree rats, but also due to the infection risk for the native European squirrel population. Also, in Germany at least, red squirrels are a specially protected species, youz are not allowed to kill them or to remove them fromt he wild and keep them forever as a home pet (you may rasie lost babies by hand, however, if you move them back to the wilderness later on, this is even encouraged since the red population is under pressure). And no, they do not "eat your garden", nor do they push birds to the brink of extinction nor do they carry rabies. All not true. For the reds at least. As often as grey ones bite, as rarely this is done by reds, and if so, it most often is an ccident from handing them a nut the wrong way and the squirrel taking the fingertip for the nut, they have a blind spot right before their nose where they cannot see.

In the wild, reds live for an average of three years, the real strong and lucky ones might make it another year or two, but that is rare. Reds living in compunds can live for up to twelve years.

The reds at least have an interesting genetical emergency behaviour: when they are at utmost risk for their lifes due to their mom being away or the younglings having fallen out of the nest and not being found again by their mom, they actively approach humans, but I assume big animals, dogs, horses as well. This is no sign of them beign ill or having rabies, or that they are agressive, even if they climb up your leg. Its simply despair, a top or hop strategy:either they pay with their,life now by getting eaten by a predator, or they indeed find the heklp they need to find desperately. If you ever find a red baby or squirrel kid seeming to look for your closeness, this means its life is at risk, it is most likely underfed, cold, dehydrated: it needs urgent help, and when it approaches you, it begs you for your help!!! Make yourself feel well, don't turn away, that would most likely be a death sentence. Raising a young squirrel by hand is a full time job 24/7, you are busy with feeding them every two hours day and night, but it is a very good experience, you get plenty of emotional reward in return. The landlady during my university years did that, so I had a close range experience with it. And no, I never got bitten although I handled the small things a lot, too . As I said, the red ones are different than the grey ones. And again, do not be afraid of rabies. Red squirrels carry no rabies in Germany, and elsewhere as well. Germany is marked by the WHO and the Robert Koch Institute as being free of ground rabies (bats however are infested by at least 30% of the population). The recommendaiton is that if you got bitten, you do NOT want to get a immunization against rabies. Tetanus however might be somethign different.

British red squirrels can carry leprosy pathogens (since centuries already). Also, ten years ago they found a small humber of red squirrels in Britain that carried antibodies against squirrel pox, so were in contatc with the virusk, but surived it. Work was done on a vaccine, but I do not know what became of that. I read that some years ago the special protection for red squirrels was planned to be given up due to war on red tape in Britain.


Did you know it? Klingons know squirrels under the name tribbles.