The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : squirrel The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : squirrel
Showing posts with label squirrel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squirrel. Show all posts

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Man Finds Baby Squirrel On His Bed, And It Grows Up To Be The Cutest Pet


Let’s just say that Thumbelina was special from the beginning. Because of her unusual birth and the loss of her sister, she had to grow up alone without interacting with other squirrels.

Everything was slow with her. Other babies have no interest in milk as soon as they taste real food, but Thumb was a big baby with a bottle. She wasn’t interested in jumping and climbing, she walked instead of running and sat instead of climbing.

To read more on this story, click here: Man Finds Baby Squirrel On His Bed, And It Grows Up To Be The Cutest Pet


FOLLOW US!
/

Monday, September 27, 2021

When Squirrels Were One of America’s Most Popular Pets



Benjamin Franklin even wrote an ode to a fallen one.

IN 1722, A PET SQUIRREL named Mungo passed away. It was a tragedy: Mungo escaped its confines and met its fate at the teeth of a dog. Benjamin Franklin, friend of the owner, immortalized the squirrel with a tribute.

“Few squirrels were better accomplished, for he had a good education, had traveled far, and seen much of the world.” Franklin wrote, adding, “Thou art fallen by the fangs of wanton, cruel Ranger!”

To read more on this story, click here: When Squirrels Were One of America’s Most Popular Pets


FOLLOW US!
/

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Father-Of-Two Spots of One of Only 50 Albino British Squirrels Outside His Edinburgh Flat


  • Richard Waugh, 51, spotted the albino squirrel outside his flat in Edinburgh
  • The UK has around 50 albino squirrels with white hair and red or pink eyes
  • The odds of a squirrel being born white are thought to be about one in 100,000

A father captured extraordinary pictures of an albino squirrel posing for pictures outside his house – where it has become a regular visitor.

Richard Waugh, 51, was thrilled when he spotted the incredibly rare squirrel scampering around outside his flat in Edinburgh.

Software developer Richard said he sees the ultra-rare critter – which he has named Lexy – a couple of times a week and sometimes scatter nuts out for her.

To read more on this story, click here: Father-of-two spots of one of only 50 albino British squirrels outside his Edinburgh flat


FOLLOW US!
/

Thursday, October 22, 2020

An Ohio Man Built a Backyard Squirrel Bar with Seven Varieties of Nuts on Tap


(CNN) — People are going nuts for an Ohio woodworker's latest creation: A bar that caters to neighborhood squirrels.

Michael Dutko, a 35-year-old hobbyist, has been creating art and household items from wood for most of his life, and even chronicles it on his YouTube channel Duke Harmon Woodworking. But it's his fun twist on a squirrel feeder that's made him Internet famous.

"The Nutty Bar," which is attached to his backyard fence in Hilliard, looks just like a real bar, and even has a range of nuts on tap.

To read more on this story, click here: An Ohio Man Built a Backyard Squirrel Bar with Seven Varieties of Nuts on Tap


FOLLOW US!
/

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Tiny Squirrels That Look Like Pokémon Can Only Be Found On Remote Japanese Islands


Regardless of how hard you wish, Pokémon aren’t real. However, here’s the next best thing: Japanese dwarf flying squirrels.

These incredible creatures can only be found on Honshu and Kyushu islands, remote locations in Japan. While there are around 50 different species of flying squirrels all around the world, these ones – known officially as Pteromys momonga – are one of only two ‘Old World’ species.

They’re rather small, measuring out at between 14 and 20 centimetres and weighing between 150-220g. Also, while other many other flying squirrels have one mating cycle per year, the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel has two.

To read more on this story, click here: Tiny Squirrels That Look Like Pokémon Can Only Be Found On Remote Japanese Islands



FOLLOW US!
/

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Man Builds A “Bar” For Squirrels In His Backyard That Serves Nuts


We all have our careers, and then on the side, we have our hobbies. For the most part, our hobbies are different from what we do for a living, but sometimes some people get lucky and their careers overlap with their hobbies.

One Fire Protection Technician, Matt Thompson, also likes to spend his free time doing woodworking, his hobby. Thompson noticed that there were people who were trying multiple attempts to create picnic tables for squirrels. He became inspired by the woodworking and chose to make his own version. Matt decided to get a little fancy with his idea and chose to make a bar for the squirrels to be able to hang out on the fence of his backyard.

To read more on this story, click here: Man Builds A “Bar” For Squirrels In His Backyard That Serves Nuts


FOLLOW US!
/

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Squirrel Begs Man For Help During Time Of Need On Railroad


Animals are more intelligent than we think. Even though they can’t speak, they frequently find other ways of communicating with us — even asking us for help.

One man experienced this exact thing when he was passing by some railroad tracks and noticed a squirrel on them.

On closer inspection, the little animal wasn’t just passing the time. It was actually stuck. And then, it did something unbelievable: it actually reached out and begged him to help free it.

To read more on this story, click here: Squirrel Begs Man For Help During Time Of Need On Railroad





FOLLOW US!
/

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

These Giant, Multi-Colored Squirrels In India Can Grow Up To 36 Inches Long


There’s a species of squirrel so large and colorful that they look like something out of a fairytale.

The Malabar giant squirrel can grow up to 36 inches long. John Koprowski is a professor and associate director at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, and a squirrel expert. When he visited India in 2006 and first saw the creatures, he thought they looked more like primates than squirrels.

“These are giants!” Koprowski told The Dodo.





FOLLOW US!
/

Monday, January 13, 2020

Squirrel Saved From Hurricane Has Her Own Mini Teddy Bear And Won’t Let Go Of It


When Hurricane Isaac hit, Jill was knocked out of her nest.

Luckily for the young squirrel, she was rescued by a nice family, and though she’d only meant to stay until she was a little older and stronger, she ended up staying for life.

Jill realized that life with her new family was pretty sweet.

Now it’s been seven years since Jill moved in, and she is thriving.

On her Instagram page, she treats followers from all over the world to snapshots of her day to day life. There’s a lot of whacky hijinks and an abundance of fabulous outfits.

And when it comes down to laying down for a good night’s rest, Jill’s trusty teddy is bound to make an appearance. The tiny teddy is her permanent sleeping partner and she loves to snuggle up to it and clutch it tight to her chest.

To read more on this story, click here: Squirrel Saved From Hurricane Has Her Own Mini Teddy Bear And Won’t Let Go Of It


FOLLOW US!
/

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Doctors Suspect Man Died Of Extremely Rare Disease After Eating Squirrel Brains


(CBS Local) — A 61-year-old New York man developed an extremely rare and fatal brain disorder after he ate squirrel brains, according to a new report.

The unnamed victim was taken to a hospital in Rochester, New York in 2015 after his ability to think and was losing touch with reality. He also could no longer walk.

His family described him as an avid hunter who had dined on squirrel brains. However, it was not clear if the man had consumed the entire squirrel brain or just squirrel meat that was contaminated with parts of squirrel brain, according to Dr. Tara Chen, a medical resident at Rochester Regional Health and lead author of the report.

Chen presented the report October 4 at IDWeek, an annual meeting of infectious diseases professionals.

To read more on this story, click here: Doctors Suspect Man Died Of Extremely Rare Disease After Eating Squirrel Brains




FOLLOW US!
/

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Flight Delayed After Woman Brings 'Emotional Support Squirrel' On Plane


Police escorted a woman off a plane Tuesday after she brought an unexpected furry friend on a Frontier Airlines flight from Orlando to Cleveland – a squirrel. 

The woman informed Frontier Airlines she was taking an "emotional support animal" on the flight from Florida when she made her reservation, according to the Associated Press. However, she did not say the animal was a squirrel. The airline said they called Orlando police after they asked the woman to leave the plane with the animal and she refused.

"Rodents, including squirrels, are not allowed on Frontier flights. The passenger was advised of the policy and was asked to deplane," said Jonathan Freed, director of corporate communications at Frontier Airlines. "When she refused to deplane, Orlando Police were called and everyone was deplaned so police could deal with the passenger. Police eventually escorted the passenger off the aircraft and returned her to the main terminal."

To read more on this story, click here: Flight Delayed After Woman Brings 'Emotional Support Squirrel' On Plane

FOLLOW US!
/

Friday, August 31, 2018

Robotic Squirrel Survives Sequester - Project Government Funded


While many government projects and programs are facing steep cuts due to the sequester, the National Science Foundation's animatronic squirrel remains fully funded. Jen Markham takes a look at the robotic rodent and explains its uses.





FOLLOW US!
/

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Have You Ever Seen A Malabar Giant Squirrel, Also Known as the Indian Giant Squirrel?


You might not normally think of squirrels as beautiful. They are usually grey or brown, and they are rodents, after all. But that’s because you likely haven’t seen the Malabar giant squirrel, also known as the Indian giant squirrel. These critters can be 36 inches long, which is more than double the size of the grey squirrels you are likely to see in the U.S. But most impressively, Malabar giant squirrels have beautiful, multicolored fur, including shades of black, brown, orange, maroon and purple.

Indian giant squirrels mostly live in eastern or southern India, and can be difficult to spot due to their camouflage and the fact that they tend to hop from tree to tree. According to a 2007 study in the journal Ecoscience, they have been known to hoard seeds in nests they build in the treetops.

John Koprowski, professor and associate director at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona, is a squirrel expert. He first saw a Malabar giant squirrel during a trip to India in 2006.

“In the shaded understory of a dense forest, the patchy colors and dark hues are a great adaptation to avoiding detection,” Koprowski told The Dodo. “But when you see these in the sunlight, they show their ‘true colors’ and beautiful pelage [fur].”

This species is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature‘s designated list of least concern, meaning they are not in imminent danger of going extinct, but their population has been in decline nonetheless due to the destruction of their forest habitat. Protection laws would help them thrive in the future.

Their beautiful colors are so eye-catching that last year, the squirrels became inspiration for people seeking new hues to dye their hair after one was photographed in the Anchankovil forest in Kerala. We can totally see why these creatures are so inspiring!

It would appear that these giant squirrels aren’t too afraid of humans, either. Check out this video footage of one enjoying a cookie:





FOLLOW US!
/

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Mourning a Squirrel’s Death Wasn’t as Uncommon as You Might Think in the 18th and 19th Centuries


In 1722, A pet Squirrel named Mungo passed away. It was a tragedy: Mungo escaped its confines and met its fate at the teeth of a dog. Benjamin Franklin, friend of the owner, immortalized the squirrel with a tribute.

“Few squirrels were better accomplished, for he had a good education, had traveled far, and seen much of the world.” Franklin wrote, adding, “Thou art fallen by the fangs of wanton, cruel Ranger!”

Mourning a squirrel’s death wasn’t as uncommon as you might think when Franklin wrote Mungo’s eulogy; in the 18th- and 19th centuries, squirrels were fixtures in American homes, especially for children. While colonial Americans kept many types of wild animals as pets, squirrels “were the most popular,” according to Katherine Grier’s Pets in America, being relatively easy to keep.

By the 1700s, a golden era of squirrel ownership was in full swing. Squirrels were sold in markets and found in the homes of wealthy urban families, and portraits of well-to-do children holding a reserved, polite upper-class squirrel attached to a gold chain leash were proudly displayed (some of which are currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Most pet squirrels were American Grey Squirrels, though Red Squirrels and Flying Squirrels also were around, enchanting the country with their devil-may-care attitudes and fluffy bodies.

By the 19th century, a canon of squirrel-care literature emerged for the enthusiast. In the 1851 book Domestic pets: their habits and management, Jane Loudon writes more about squirrels as pets than rabbits, and devotes an entire chapter to the “beautiful little creature, very agile and graceful in its movements.” Squirrels “may be taught to jump from one hand to the other to search for a hidden nut, and it soon knows its name, and the persons who feed it.” Loudin also waxes on their habits, like jumping around a room and peeping out from wooden eaves, writing that “an instance is recorded of no less than seventeen lumps of sugar being found in the cornice of a drawing-room in which a squirrel had been kept, besides innumerable nuts, pieces of biscuit.” Loudon’s advice: when your squirrel is not running around the room, provide it with a tin-lined cage that has a running wheel.

Leisure Hour Monthly, meanwhile, in 1859, advised to feed it “a fig or a date now and then,” and that you should start your squirrel-raising adventure with those procured “directly from the nest, when possible.” The unnamed author’s own pet squirrels, Dick and Peter, had the freedom of his bedroom and plenty of nuts to store away. “Let your pet squirrels crack their own nuts, my young squirrel fanciers,” the author wrote.

While many people captured their pet squirrels from the wild in the 1800s, squirrels were also sold in pet shops, a then-burgeoning industry that today constitutes a $70 billion business. One home manual from 1883, for example, explained that any squirrel could be bought from your local bird breeder. But not unlike some shops today, these pet stores could have dark side; Grier writes that shop owners “faced the possibility that they sold animals to customers who would neglect or abuse them, or that their trade in a particular species could endanger its future in the wild.”

Keeping pet squirrels has a downside for humans too, which eventually became clear: despite their owners’ best attempts at taming them, they’re still wild animals. As time wore on, squirrels were increasingly viewed as pests; by the 1910s squirrels became so despised in California that the state issued a widespread public attack on the once-adored creatures. From the 1920s through the 1970s many states slowly adopted wildlife conservation and exotic pet laws, which prohibited keeping squirrels at home. Today, experts and enthusiasts alike warn that squirrels don’t always make ideal pets, mainly because of their finicky diet, space requirements, and scratchy claws.

None of this, of course, will deter the most determined squirrel owner. Fans of Bob Ross might remember his pet squirrel named Peapod, and some squirrels owners are rekindling the obsession by making their pets Instagram-famous. Still, wild squirrels surely agree—it’s probably best we’re now mostly leaving them to the forest.


Pete the squirrel, who was a pet of President Harding. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/LC-DIG-HEC-42488



John Singleton Copley’s A Boy with a Flying Squirrel. MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON/PUBLIC DOMAIN



A girl with a pet squirrel - and parrot, cat and pigeon. INTERNET ARCHIVE/PUBLIC DOMAIN




  Portrait of a Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling, Hans Holbein PUBLIC DOMAIN


FOLLOW US!
/

Monday, January 18, 2016

A New Jersey Woman Who Took in Two Abandoned Baby Squirrels: Slapped with a Fine from Wildlife Authorities


A New Jersey woman who took in two abandoned baby squirrels said she saw the animals taken away and was slapped with a fine after wildlife authorities saw images of the critters that she had posted online.

Maria Vaccarella and her husband were surprised to find in July an injured squirrel they had come upon in a neighbor’s yard had given birth to two healthy babies and left the pair to fend for themselves.

“We left the babies out for 24 hours. No mom (came back) so I decided to take them in,” she said.

Vaccarella treated the pair— whom she named Lola and George— like her pets as she cared for them.

“I read up on them… I started feeding them puppy milk with whipping cream for three months and started introducing other foods,” she said, telling CBS New York that she fed them every two hours to build up their strength.

Vaccarella posted photos of the siblings on social media to the delight of her friends, who expressed how happy they were to see the squirrels thriving.

“How sweet is that!” one person commented on a photo.

“You did a beautiful thing… saving those little babies!” another person wrote.

But those pictures attracted the attention of state wildlife officers, who visited Vaccarella on October 31.

“I was proud to tell them the story (of) how I saved them,” Vaccarella said.

“I even asked if they would like to come in and see them… If I had known it was illegal to have them I would have never let them (the squirrels) in my home,” she said, noting that she reached out to a rehabilitation specialist who had been unable to immediately take the pair.

Vaccarella told CBS New York she was happy to give the squirrels to professionals and thought that was the end of it, but was surprised to receive a summons in the mail for what she had done.

She pleaded not guilty to possessing captive game animals and said she faces a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months’ jail time, she wrote in an online petition to have the charges dropped and to find out where the squirrels were taken.

“All I did was help these babies,” she wrote on the petition.

Bob Considine, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the Division of Fish and Wildlife, told Inside Edition that the civil penalty carries a fine of $100 to $500, but no jail time as it is not a criminal penalty.

“We understand there are many people who take in wildlife and have the best intentions, as clear was the case with Mrs. Vaccarella… However, domesticating any wildlife for an extended period of time, which was the case here, also puts these animals at great risk of being unable to survive in the natural habitat, where they belong,” he told Inside Edition.

After the case was referred to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by a New Jersey licensed wildlife rehabilitator who saw it on Facebook, the department was obligated to follow through with an official notice of violation of law. If they had not acted, they stood to be legally challenged by the licensed wildlife rehabilitators, or anyone else, who reports an infraction.

He said this is not a case the department is “focusing any energy on.”

Vaccarella is due back in court on January 27.


:



FOLLOW US!
/

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Elderly Couple Left Bloodied with Scratches and Cuts from Vicious Squirrel Who Has Already Attacked Eight People in a California Neighborhood


A California couple were both hospitalized with deep cuts and scratches after being attacked by a vicious squirrel terrorizing their neighborhood.

Richard Williams, 87, was doing chores in the garage when a squirrel slipped through an open door in his Novato home and pounced on him.

The squirrel clawed and scratched at Williams' head, arm and legs, immediately jumping back on him every time Williams managed to pull him off - and even smashing his glasses.

“He charged me and jumped, and from then on, the battle started,” Williams told CBS San Francisco.

Williams' wife Norma, 83, heard his screams and immediately ran to his aid.

She grabbed a broom and started hitting the squirrel, who then jumped on her and managed to scratch her hands.

Williams was then able to grab the squirrel by the tail and swung him to the garage floor, where he was momentarily stunned before racing out the door.

A neighbor brought the couple to the hospital, where they also received dozens of shots for illnesses such rabies and tetanus, in case the squirrel had them.

This wasn't the squirrel's first strike.

The Marin Humane Society believes the same squirrel has been responsible for attacks on eight people in the past three weeks, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

A Pacific Gas and Electric Company worker was scratched on the head while working in the yard of a home where the squirrel had just attacked a woman inside on November 13.

Just five days later, the squirrel brought chaos to the Pleasant Valley Elementary school when it slipped into a classroom and ran up a teacher's leg before biting her on the shoulder.

The squirrel then ran into another classroom, where it bit a child, according to CBS San Francisco.

A custodian was able to remove the squirrel from the classroom, but it escaped by the time the Marin Humane Society arrived at the school.

Experts believe a single squirrel has been responsible for the attacks because they have occurred in the same general area within the Novato neighborhood.

And officials believe the squirrel's behavior could be tied to humans feeding them, which is illegal in the state of California.

“If a wild animal gets the idea that humans provide food, somehow they get it in their head that all humans provide food,” Alison Hermance of Wildcare told CBS.

Which means they go up to people and when they don't get food, they can become aggressive.”

The Marin Society believes the squirrel may now be dead, as it has not been heard from since the most recent attack on the couple on November 27.

“All of the attacks have been within just a few days of each other,” she said in a statement obtained by the San Jose Mercury News.

“However, since the victim of the last attack indicated he injured the squirrel and there have not been any more attacks since, it's quite possible the squirrel has died.”


Richard Williams, 87, (pictured) and his wife Norma, 83, were left hospitalized with bloody scratches and cuts after a vicious squirrel terrorizing their Novato, Callifornia neighborhood attacked.


Williams was doing chores in the garage when a squirrel slipped through an open door in his Novato door and immediately pounced.



The vicious squirrel clawed and scratched at Williams' head, arm and legs and smashed his glasses. When Norma heard his screams she ran to her husband's aide and hit the squirrel with a broom.


The squirrel then jumped on Norma and managed to scratch her hand (pictured).


The Marin Humane Society believes the same squirrel has been responsible for attacks on eight people in the past three weeks.

FOLLOW US!
/

Monday, December 7, 2015

8 People Attacked by Human-Raised Squirrel in California


Novato, California -  Eight people were attacked by what is believed to be a human-raised squirrel in the Pleasant Valley area of Novato between Nov. 13 and Friday, the Marin Humane Society and the Marin County Department of Public Health said.
  
Five attacks occurred around the intersection of Sutro Avenue and Vineyard Road, Marin Humane Society spokeswoman Lisa Bloch said.
  
A squirrel ran up to the victims, crawled up their bodies and bit the victims in the arms, legs, hands or head, and there have been reports the squirrel jumped out of a tree and attacked the victims, Bloch said.
  
The victims include a child and a teacher at the Pleasant Valley Elementary School and a person in a garage. The other people were bit or scratched outdoors, Bloch said.
  
Marin County Deputy Public Health Officer Dr. Lisa Santora said those who were bitten received three rabies shots as a precaution even though the likelihood of a squirrel having rabies is extremely low.
  
Santora said if the squirrel that attacked the person on Nov. 13 had rabies, it would have died by Nov. 27.
  
Officials believe the lone squirrel was hand-raised and lost its fear of humans, Bloch said.
  
Bloch urged residents not to feed wildlife and to reduce their homes' and gardens' attractiveness by removing bird feeders and cutting back trees that hang over roofs or are close to telephone lines.
  


FOLLOW US!
/

Friday, May 8, 2015

Heartwarming Story - A Family in Finland Found a Squirrel Lying on the Side of the Road: They Nursed Him Back to Health


There’s not much cuter than seeing a spry little squirrel in its environment – running, jumping, climbing, nibbling… everything about them is adorable.

But one family in Finland noticed a red squirrel in quite the opposite circumstances – it was seemingly lifeless on the side of a road. They were devastated, but then the wounded squirrel showed faint signs of life. It was just the beginning of a story that went from heartbreaking to heartwarming in a matter of seconds.

A family in Finland spotted this little guy seemingly lifeless on the side of a road in 2007. When they were moving him, he showed signs of life.

They immediately decided to try and nurse him back to health.

Unfortunately though, “We realized that his eye would never heal completely and he wouldn’t survive on his own,” says Priami, whose family adopted the squirrel.

The family took the squirrel in as one of their own.

They named him Arttu, “pretty much the Finnish version of ‘Arthur.’”

He loved to joke around: “He liked to have playful ‘fights’ with our hands (you know, like cats do) and he was smart enough not to bite too hard.”
Arttu quite the appetite: “We fed him nuts, fruits, berries and mushrooms.” (And pinecones!)

Arttu lived with the family from 2007 – 2013, when he passed of old age. They found him curled up in his ‘nest’ like he was sleeping.

“We fed other squirrels all the food we had stored for him before he died.”
It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that our pets have shorter lifespans than us. But however short, it looks like Arttu’s life was very happy. Now he probably has all the nuts he can handle in squirrel heaven.
  














FOLLOW US!
/

Friday, July 12, 2013

Squirrel Eating Car - Terrorizing a South Florida Family


A Florida family living in fear that they were being targeted by vandals discovered that the culprit has quite an appetite for destruction. The culprit? A squirrel.

A crazy car-eating squirrel with an appetite for destruction has been terrorizing a south Florida family.

The hungry critter, dubbed Munchy, has been biting fist-sized chunks of metal out of Nora Ziegler's SUV.

It's already ripped two 6-inch panels out of her Toyota Sequoia and seems intent on eating more.

But, bizarrely, he's left the four other cars that line the Martin County family's driveway untouched.

Ziegler told WPTV that she initially thought her vehicle was being targeted by vandals.
Cops were stumped and told her to remain vigilant, speculating that "someone was coming after her."

But she soon busted the culprit red-handed as she put out the trash one night.
Ziegler said she couldn't believe her eyes as she watched the squirrel, which was hanging by its teeth and gnawing away at the metal.

Relieved that she wasn't being targeted by hoodlums, she's now deciding what to do about the rampaging rodent.

"I'm not happy to see my car like this, but at least I didn't have any enemies, at least not people," Ziegler told WPTV.

Wildlife expert Hugh Curran, of Absolute Critter Removal, was however less shocked about the squirrel's choice of food.

"If they're looking to make a nest, chewing for them to find a cavity, to make a nest, that's not unusual at all," said Curran.

Video:






FOLLOW US!
/