Rock Squirrel (PereDavid') alias squirrel, furry mouse, tricky mouse, stone mouse, broom, fur raccoon, broom hair. It is agile and likes to inhabit rocky areas such as mountains and hills, semi-arboreal and semi-terrestrial.
Rock Squirrels are mainly distributed in provinces such as Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, etc. Rock Squirrel is one of the important rodents in hilly mountainous areas with abundant population, causing damage to agriculture and forestry.
Chinese scientific name: 岩松鼠
Chinese aliases: 松鼠、毛老鼠、刁老鼠、石老鼠、扫子、毛格狸、扫毛子
English name: PereDavid'
Binomial nomenclature: Sciurusdavidianus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Eutheria
Infraclass: Rodentia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Family: Sciuridae
Subfamily: Sciurinae
Genus: Sciurinae
Species: Rock Squirrel
Distribution: Distributed in areas such as Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Guizhou, Anhui, and Hubei.
Rock Squirrels are semi-arboreal and semi-terrestrial squirrels, mainly inhabiting open habitats such as mountains, hills with rocks, pine forests, mixed forests, broadleaved forests, fruit tree forests (walnut, chestnut, etc.), and shrub forests. They are rarely seen in high-altitude areas with dense vegetation.
Listed in the "List of Terrestrial Wildlife of National Importance or with Important Economic and Scientific Research Value" issued by the Chinese State Forestry Administration on August 1, 2000
Listed as Least Concern (LC) in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species ver3.1 in 2008
The population distribution is not scattered. This species has been recognized as a species with high population density (Smith and Xie 2008), but the population trend is unknown
Love small pet crowd recommended to raise, Rock Squirrel loves to eat oily dried fruits, such as pine nuts, walnut fruits, walnuts, apricots, chestnuts, etc. These are its favorite foods and it can also steal crops such as grains. It has a hoarding habit and stores dried fruits in tree holes and other places. A Rock Squirrel may have multiple food storage locations. Rock Squirrels do not hibernate, but their activity is relatively low in winter, mainly active after sunrise. Its main predators are carnivorous raptors and beasts.
1. Teeth are too long
Long-term consumption of soft food, the teeth cannot be properly chewed and grow too long. Overgrown teeth can damage the inside of the mouth and affect food intake. In addition, it can lead to gum decay and rhinitis. This will cause the teeth to gradually loosen and fall out. After one side of the teeth falls out, the other side of the teeth requires regular trimming surgery due to lack of normal chewing. Early diagnosis can lead to early treatment.
2. Injuries caused by fighting
Squirrels have a habit of attacking the weaker ones in the group. Squirrels that appear to be healthy but already suffer from serious illness will be attacked by healthy squirrels. If these attacked squirrels are dissected, it will be found that they have long been seriously ill. In addition, weak squirrels are also easily targeted. If squirrels are found fighting, each squirrel should be separated with a cage. Injured areas should be treated with antibiotics to prevent wound infection. Larger wounds should be sutured with surgery. Due to the possibility of fratricide, weak squirrels should be isolated as early as possible.
3. Pneumonia
Squirrels are prone to pneumonia when under high pressure, excessive humidity, and poor air circulation. Symptoms such as cough, poor appetite, and listlessness appear, followed by death. Human colds can also be transmitted to squirrels, so special attention should be paid. Treatment with antibiotics is available.
4. Hypocalcemia
Pregnant and postpartum female squirrels are prone to this disease. Due to a decrease in the calcium concentration in the blood, symptoms such as spasms, paralysis, and motor disorders occur. If calcium injections are not administered in time, there is a risk of death. Adding calcium supplements to the diet of pregnant and lactating female squirrels can be used as a preventive method. In addition, sunbathing is also important.
5. Rickets
Squirrels, like humans, can also suffer from rickets. In addition to the need to regularly supplement calcium and active vitamin D, sunbathing is also essential. The use of artificial sunlight lamps is effective, but improper wavelength of ultraviolet rays can cause serious burns. Therefore, it is best to consult the hospital in detail before use.
6. Urethritis
Urethritis occurs when the urethra is infected with bacteria. Male squirrels may also have difficulty urinating due to swelling of the penis. The pain caused by urination can make them emit painful cries. If these symptoms are found, immediate urine examination and treatment with appropriate antibiotics are necessary.
7. Fractures
When squirrels play indoors, they may have fractures due to improper jumping. Simple fractures can heal without surgery following the instructions of the hospital. Squirrels are not tolerant of anesthesia, so it is best to avoid surgery. However, if the spinal bones are injured, the prognosis may not be good.
Rock Squirrels are regarded as one of the important rodents in agriculture and forestry. Their lifespan is usually between 3 and 12 years. Rock Squirrels like to eat nuts and often feed on crops in the fields. They also frequently sneak into residential areas, where they steal corn hanging under the eaves and grains on the roofs.
In addition to damaging the seedlings of Pinus tabulaeformis by stealing pine seeds, Rock Squirrels also invade farmland and cause a decrease in agricultural production by stealing large amounts of food. In spring and autumn, they invade farmland in groups, digging up the seeds sown in spring and stealing the mature crops in autumn.
In North China, the young squirrels leave the nest and live independently in May and June. Female squirrels mate in March and April and give birth in April and May. They reproduce 1-2 litters per year, with 2-5 offspring per litter. The newborns are hairless, blind, weighing 7-8g, and measuring 5-5.5cm in length. Their eyes open at 30 days old, and they leave the nest at 45-55 days old.
Fill a semi-pot with warm water, with a temperature of 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. No shower gel is needed for the first bath, let the squirrel get used to the water first. Choose pet bathing products for the bathing series. Put the squirrel in a wire cage, pay attention to the amount of water, it should only be half submerged, then put it directly into the basin. At this time, observe the squirrel's reaction. If the squirrel is not afraid of water, you can discard the cage. Hold the squirrel with your left hand, half-soaked in the water, and massage it with your right hand for 5 minutes. When finished bathing, gently push off the water from its body, then wrap a towel around the squirrel to wipe it dry. Keep wiping until no water drips, then put it back in the cage. Lay a towel underneath and place it in the sun. The squirrel will keep grooming until its fur is dry.
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