How to train a squirrel. How to get rid of squirrels in the country
The terrain is the totality of all the irregularities of the earth's surface, composed of various elementary forms of various orders. The terrain is its most important element, determining its tactical properties.
The relief on topographic maps is depicted in the Baltic system of heights with horizontal lines and symbols and is supplemented with numerical elevation marks of characteristic points of the area, digital characteristics of its individual parts and directional indicators of the slopes. When studying the relief on a map, first understand its type, and then determine the main characteristics of the forms.
Types of relief:
flat (slightly rough terrain);
hilly (moderately rugged terrain);
mountainous (rugged terrain).
Types of relief are determined by absolute heights, relative elevations and the prevailing steepness of the slopes. These characteristics are discussed in detail.
Plains are divided into horizontal, inclined, convex, concave.
Hilly terrain is divided into flat, undulating, stepped, gully, etc.
Typical landforms include:
A mountain is a dome-shaped or conical elevation with a pronounced base - the sole. A small mountain is called a mound or height, and an artificial hill is called a mound;
The basin is a depression closed on all sides;
A ridge is an elevation elongated in one direction. The line separating the opposite slopes of the ridge is called a watershed, topographic ridge, or simply ridge.
A hollow is an elongated depression, descending in one direction. The bends of the slopes of the hollow are called edges, and the line along the bottom towards which the slopes are directed is called a talver (spill). Varieties of hollows - valleys, ravines, gullies, gorges, canyons.
A saddle is a depression between hills, resembling a saddle in shape. In the mountains, a saddle is usually a pass across a mountain range.
The horizontal line is a closed line depicting a horizontal contour of unevenness on the map, all points of which on the ground are located at the same height above sea level. Horizontal lines can also be represented as lines obtained as a result of cutting the terrain with level surfaces, that is, surfaces parallel to the water level in the oceans.
The method of depicting the relief with horizontal lines allows not only to correctly display the shapes of the relief, but also to take into account the differences in the heights of unevenness and the steepness of their slopes.
The essence of relief images on topographic maps
The following horizontal lines are distinguished:
Basic (solid) - correspond to the height of the relief section, depicted on maps as a solid brown line.
Reading the relief using horizontal lines and symbols
One of the main requirements for topographic maps is that they depict, with maximum detail and accuracy allowed by the scale of the map, not only the planned position of terrain objects, but also the spatial shapes and sizes of irregularities in the earth's surface. In other words, a topographic map should provide a three-dimensional representation of the terrain, allowing not only to take measurements in the horizontal plane, but also to determine the position of various points and terrain objects in height.
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A tourist club that organizes sports trips and routes for active recreation: river rafting on boats, catamarans, rafts, kayaks; horse riding tours with horse riding lessons; mountain bike tours with and without auto support; hiking and skiing trips; survival courses in the mountain taiga for experienced autonomous drivers and beginners and much more. Aggregator of routes in the Urals and other regions of Russia. To order a tour or cooperation, please contact us.
Squirrels are perhaps the most graceful and energetic of the rodent family. They attract us with their colors and boundless energy. They get used to people very well, and especially to a place where people constantly feed them. If there are trees on your site, then attracting squirrels to the site will not be difficult. When breeding, you should not take into account the composition of the pair, since squirrels are polygamous, males and females meet only during the rutting period, and the sex ratio during this period is as follows: for one female there are two or more males. From this number of males, the female chooses the strongest and healthiest one and mates with him.
What you need to know when choosing a squirrel:
Advantages of squirrels
- squirrels are very affectionate and friendly
- If the squirrel is tamed, you can walk with it without a leash
- the cleanest of the rodents
- practically do not leave behind an unpleasant odor
- surprise with the prudence of their behavior and are trusting
Difficulties in keeping squirrels in an apartment
- squirrels molt
- do not reproduce well in apartment conditions
- can escape through a window from any floor
- wild squirrels scratch and bite painfully without knowing pity
- may remain indifferent to a person
Squirrel sizes
Small and medium squirrels can have a body length from 20 to 31 cm. Weight up to 1 kg. The length of the tail is 20-31 cm. The tail is densely covered with hair. The length of the tail may be greater than the length of the body or approximately equal to it. The hind limbs are powerful and longer than the forelimbs. The animal is very decorated with dark tassels on the ears and shiny, lively eyes.
Homeland of origin of squirrels
Distributed throughout the globe, with the exception of the region of Australia, Madagascar, the southern part of South America (Patagonia, Chile, most of Argentina), the polar regions and some deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. There are about 50 species. They inhabit a wide variety of landscapes: forests, open plains, deserts, tundras, mountains, from the tropics to the Arctic. They lead a terrestrial and arboreal lifestyle. A larger number of species are still adapted to the arboreal species. There are only 2 species in Russia - the common squirrel and the Persian.
The Persian squirrel is mainly found only in the forests of Transcaucasia. Its fur is coarse and has no commercial value. They are few in number and not as attractive as common squirrels.
It lives in large numbers in the taiga zone of the European part, in the Urals and Siberia. In the past, one of the main objects of the fur trade. Squirrels live in the taiga, in mixed and deciduous forests, sticking to old areas rich in food.
In coniferous forests they feed on coniferous seeds, in deciduous forests they feed on acorns, beech and hazel nuts. Squirrels eat various berries and mushrooms, flower buds, fruits, catch beetles and butterflies landing on trees, and sometimes destroy bird nests by drinking eggs and eating chicks.
It is necessary to contain proteins. Approximate dimensions of the cage for one G squirrel: height 60 cm, length and width - 50 cm. The frame must be metal, because The squirrel will try to get free. The frame is covered with a metal mesh with cells of 10 - 15 square meters. mm. If the cage is located on the street or on a balcony, it is worth making a gable roof over it from tin, if there is no need to make a roof in the apartment. A wheel and a nest should be attached outside the cage. The cage must have shelves, branches, and snags so that the animal can actively move. But not only for this. The squirrel needs to constantly grind down its claws, otherwise they will grow so long that the animal will have difficulty moving on dirt and wooden floors and “stick” its claws to the fabric. During the light period, the animal is constantly active, inquisitive, and quickly moves from one activity to another.
A difficult time for squirrels comes during the molt. Some animals become lethargic and sleepy, while others, on the contrary, become more active or behave as usual.
Spring molting in the common squirrel occurs immediately after estrus. In males, molting begins earlier and lasts until mid-summer. Females molt later than males, but more intensely; it ends when the squirrels are born.
Feeding squirrels
The squirrel's main food is various plant foods: spruce and pine seeds, berries and fruits, nuts, fresh or dried mushrooms, tree buds and shoots. Sometimes eats insects. The egg can be given raw, but fresh. To prevent infectious diseases and poisoning, it is better to hard-boil a chicken egg.
An approximate daily diet for a squirrel in captivity: 10 - 15 g of white bread, 15 - 20 g of nuts, 20 - 25 g of fruits or berries, which can be replaced with dry ones in winter.
Animals love sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cereals, spruce and pine cones. They eat vegetables well - carrots, acorns, tree buds. In addition to water, they drink juices, milk, and tea. In winter, you can add a little bee honey, vitamins A, D, E in oil to succulent food or drink to prevent vitamin deficiency once a week per animal.
Squirrels love cheese and cottage cheese. Do not give sweet candies, etc.
All products given to the animal must be well processed. It is better to give raw vegetables and fruits, but never fried ones. Sunflower seeds cannot be baked; they must be given raw. The animal is fed twice a day - morning and evening.
The moult begins around the eyes, on the head and down the back to the tail, then moves to the sides and limbs. The autumn molt begins at the base of the tail and moves along the back to the head, while the hind limbs shed at the same time. At this time, the males begin to shed first, after the end of the rut. Adult females that have not had a second litter molt earlier than females that have given birth to a second litter. The molting of young squirrels approximately coincides with the molting of adult females.
Shedding occurs gradually and does not bring much trouble when cleaning the room in which the squirrel lives. For prevention, the cage can be scalded with boiling water once a month. Usually the cage is cleaned once a week. To eliminate odor, you can use a solution of bleach and a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). For convenience, the retractable part of the bottom of the cage is covered with medium-sized plastic or plexiglass. You should periodically remove and wash off the protein waste by washing the insert with soapy water. It is often not worth disturbing a squirrel's nest. She loves her smell and experiences new ones. Squirrels are very clean and tidy up their nest themselves.
To build a nest, the animal needs building material. Place pieces of fabric, scraps of wool yarn, sawdust, a small amount of cotton wool, and straw in the cage.
To prevent the animal’s fur from spreading throughout the apartment during the next molting, install 10 cm high plates around the perimeter of the base of the cage.
The plates can be made from cardboard, plywood, glass, plastic or plexiglass.
There should always be a drinking bowl with fresh water in the cages.
In the suburbs, in summer cottages, squirrels often drink from large iron barrels. They hook their hind legs onto the edge of the barrel and bend low towards the water. Some weakened animals cannot straighten up and drown.
It is attached to the walls of the cage or placed in a cage in which the squirrel cannot turn it over with its sudden movements. Two feeders are needed - for dry and wet food. Wash feeders every day. The animal will not eat contaminated food.
Reproduction of squirrels
In the wild, squirrels give birth to 2 litters per year, from 2 to 12 cubs in each. For the common squirrel, spring estrus occurs at the end of January - beginning of March. The second heat is in the summer. The heat lasts about two weeks.
The duration of pregnancy in squirrels varies. The common squirrel has 22-39 days, the gray squirrel has approximately 44 days. In a litter, the common squirrel has from 3 to 10 cubs, and in good conditions sometimes 15 - 18, but usually 3 - 4. The gray squirrel has from 1 to 5, but usually 2 - 3 cubs.
Squirrels are very touching mothers, but males do not care about their family either in captivity or in the wild. The cubs are born naked and blind, little pink lumps. After giving birth, the squirrel cleans everything up on its own. The cubs need maternal warmth and milk; when leaving the nest, the female always covers them with soft bedding.
Newborn babies have a body length of 5 - 5.6 cm, weight 7.5 - 8.5 g. Their hair appears on the 14th day, the incisors of the lower jaw erupt on the 21st - 23rd day, the incisors of the upper jaw - on the 37th - 41st day . The eyes open after about a month on the 30th - 32nd day.
In a forest or forest park, baby squirrels sometimes suffer because of their curiosity. When they see a person or animal (for example, a dog), they go down the trunk and branches to get a better look at the strangers. At the same time, they make a characteristic clicking sound and attract attention.
They are sometimes knocked down with sticks and thus maimed so that the baby squirrel then dies in captivity. Squirrels often become victims of ordinary domestic cats. The cat may not have time to cause much harm to the baby squirrel - let's say it only damages the fur on its side. If you take such a little squirrel and your hands, he will wet them and click furiously, shaking his wet and cat-bitten tail. In this state, he will be an easy prey for any predator. It is necessary to treat the wound with iodine (iodine not only disinfects, but also heals). It may seem that the baby is still a baby and cannot feed himself.
To prevent the baby squirrel from starving to death, you will have to feed him from a pipette; when he grows up a little, use an empty bottle of Corvalol with a rubber tip from a pipette to feed him, at the end of which a small hole is pierced with a hot needle. By pouring cow's milk into this nipple, half diluted with boiled water cooled to 36 - 38 ° C, you will save the life of the animal.
They themselves begin to look for food at the age of forty days. At two months they begin to live independently. Sexual maturity occurs at 5 months.
In captivity, these animals live longer than in freedom - approximately 15 - 18 years. Life expectancy depends on feeding and living conditions.
Squirrel diseases
Despite their cleanliness, squirrels in captivity are more susceptible to various diseases than in nature. Under conditions of limited movement, the level of metabolism in the body decreases, which, in turn, reduces resistance to disease.
Obesity is common in squirrels and other rodents. In the wild, a squirrel runs several kilometers a day. With limited movement, increased fat deposition occurs in the subcutaneous tissue. The animal develops shortness of breath and is breathing heavily.
It is necessary to reduce nutritional standards, eliminating fatty components from the diet.
Squirrel vitamin deficiencies
Signs:
- emaciation
- lethargy
- hair loss outside of shedding.
Introduce vitamins and vitamin-containing foods into your diet. To restore the body and prevent diseases, the cage must contain charcoal and activated carbon.
All the main signs of squirrel diseases are similar to those in hamsters.
Little tricks for keeping squirrels
If the squirrel runs away, do not try to catch it. This is a very dexterous animal, but even it will not be able to maintain its balance if it ends up on a crystal vase or chandelier.
The escaped baby squirrel will get hungry and go into the cage itself.
You have a baby squirrel, but there is no cage. Do not worry. Take an old woolen mitten or scarf and place it on a shelf in the hallway, showing this place to the animal. For greater persuasiveness, place a saucer of milk next to it.
During shedding, to prevent the fur from scattering around the apartment like poplar fluff, comb the animal with a clean comb. If this operation is carried out carefully, in addition to the benefits, the animal will receive great pleasure.
Squirrels are perhaps the most graceful and energetic of the rodent family. They attract us with their colors and boundless energy. They get used to people very well, and especially to a place where people constantly feed them. If there are trees on your site, then attracting squirrels to the site will not be difficult. When purchasing squirrels for breeding, you should not take into account the composition of the pair, since squirrels are polygamous, males and females meet only during the rutting period, and the sex ratio during this period is as follows: for one female there are two or more males. From this number of males, the female chooses the strongest and healthiest one and mates with him.
What you need to know when choosing a squirrel:
Advantages of squirrels
squirrels are very affectionate and friendly
If the squirrel is tamed, you can walk with it without a leash
the cleanest of the rodents
practically do not leave behind an unpleasant odor
surprise with the prudence of their behavior and are trusting
Difficulties in keeping squirrels in an apartment
squirrels molt
do not reproduce well in apartment conditions
can escape through a window from any floor
wild squirrels scratch and bite painfully without knowing pity
may remain indifferent to a person
Squirrel sizes
Small and medium squirrels can have a body length from 20 to 31 cm. Weight up to 1 kg. The length of the tail is 20-31 cm. The tail is densely covered with hair. The length of the tail may be greater than the length of the body or approximately equal to it. The hind limbs are powerful and longer than the forelimbs. The animal is very decorated with dark tassels on the ears and shiny, lively eyes.
Homeland of origin of squirrels
Distributed throughout the globe, with the exception of the region of Australia, Madagascar, the southern part of South America (Patagonia, Chile, most of Argentina), the polar regions and some deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. There are about 50 species. They inhabit a wide variety of landscapes: forests, open plains, deserts, tundras, mountains, from the tropics to the Arctic. They lead a terrestrial and arboreal lifestyle. A larger number of species are still adapted to the arboreal species. There are only 2 species in Russia - the common squirrel and the Persian.
The Persian squirrel is mainly found only in the forests of Transcaucasia. Its fur is coarse and has no commercial value. They are few in number and not as attractive as common squirrels.
The common squirrel lives in large numbers in the taiga zone of the European part, in the Urals and Siberia. In the past, one of the main objects of the fur trade. Squirrels live in the taiga, in mixed and deciduous forests, sticking to old areas rich in food.
In coniferous forests they feed on coniferous seeds, in deciduous forests they feed on acorns, beech and hazel nuts. Squirrels eat various berries and mushrooms, flower buds, fruits, catch beetles and butterflies landing on trees, and sometimes destroy bird nests by drinking eggs and eating chicks.
Conditions for keeping squirrels
To keep a squirrel you need a spacious cage. Approximate dimensions of the cage for one G squirrel: height 60 cm, length and width - 50 cm. The frame must be metal, because The squirrel will try to get free. The frame is covered with a metal mesh with cells of 10 - 15 square meters. mm. If the cage is located on the street or on a balcony, it is worth making a gable roof over it from tin, if there is no need to make a roof in the apartment. A wheel and a nest should be attached outside the cage. The cage must have shelves, branches, and snags so that the animal can actively move. But not only for this. The squirrel needs to constantly grind down its claws, otherwise they will grow so long that the animal will have difficulty moving on dirt and wooden floors and “stick” its claws to the fabric. During the light period, the animal is constantly active, inquisitive, and quickly moves from one activity to another.
A difficult time for squirrels comes during the molt. Some animals become lethargic and sleepy, while others, on the contrary, become more active or behave as usual.
Spring molting in the common squirrel occurs immediately after estrus. In males, molting begins earlier and lasts until mid-summer. Females molt later than males, but more intensely; it ends when the squirrels are born.
Feeding squirrels
The squirrel's main food is various plant foods: spruce and pine seeds, berries and fruits, nuts, fresh or dried mushrooms, tree buds and shoots. Sometimes eats insects. The egg can be given raw, but fresh. To prevent infectious diseases and poisoning, it is better to hard-boil a chicken egg.
An approximate daily diet for a squirrel in captivity: 10 - 15 g of white bread, 15 - 20 g of nuts, 20 - 25 g of fruits or berries, which can be replaced with dry ones in winter.
Animals love sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cereals, spruce and pine cones. They eat vegetables well - carrots, acorns, tree buds. In addition to water, they drink juices, milk, and tea. In winter, you can add a little bee honey, vitamins A, D, E in oil to succulent food or drink to prevent vitamin deficiency once a week per animal.
Squirrels love cheese and cottage cheese. Do not give sweet candies, etc.
All products given to the animal must be well processed. It is better to give raw vegetables and fruits, but never fried ones. Sunflower seeds cannot be baked; they must be given raw. The animal is fed twice a day - morning and evening.
Practical tips for handling squirrels
The moult begins around the eyes, on the head and down the back to the tail, then moves to the sides and limbs. The autumn molt begins at the base of the tail and moves along the back to the head, while the hind limbs shed at the same time. At this time, the males begin to shed first, after the end of the rut. Adult females that have not had a second litter molt earlier than females that have given birth to a second litter. The molting of young squirrels approximately coincides with the molting of adult females.
Shedding occurs gradually and does not bring much trouble when cleaning the room in which the squirrel lives. For prevention, the cage can be scalded with boiling water once a month. Usually the cage is cleaned once a week. To eliminate odor, you can use a solution of bleach and a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). For convenience, the retractable part of the bottom of the cage is covered with medium-sized plastic or plexiglass. You should periodically remove and wash off the protein waste by washing the insert with soapy water. It is often not worth disturbing a squirrel's nest. She loves her smell and experiences new ones. Squirrels are very clean and tidy up their nest themselves.
To build a nest, the animal needs building material. Place pieces of fabric, scraps of wool yarn, sawdust, a small amount of cotton wool, and straw in the cage.
To prevent the animal’s fur from spreading throughout the apartment during the next molting, install 10 cm high plates around the perimeter of the base of the cage.
The plates can be made from cardboard, plywood, glass, plastic or plexiglass.
There should always be a drinking bowl with fresh water in the cages.
In the suburbs, in summer cottages, squirrels often drink from large iron barrels. They hook their hind legs onto the edge of the barrel and bend low towards the water. Some weakened animals cannot straighten up and drown.
The feeder is attached to the walls of the cage or placed in a cage in which the squirrel cannot turn it over with its sudden movements. Two feeders are needed - for dry and wet food. Wash feeders every day. The animal will not eat contaminated food.
When meeting a squirrel, especially in the cold season, people have a natural desire to feed it. Usually what is at hand is used, but few people think about the real benefits of such help. In order not to aggravate the unenviable situation of the animals, learn what to feed squirrels in winter and how to do it safely for the animals. The list of what can be used for feeding is quite extensive, but there are also many dangerous and poisonous foods, even among those that people eat every day.
Diet of squirrels in their natural habitat
In nature, squirrels feed mainly on plant foods, although they are omnivores. Researchers of squirrels in the wild report more than 130 types of food they use. The amount of food consumed per day depends on the time of year: from 30-35 g in winter to 80 g in spring during the mating season.
In winter, squirrels can take food directly from your hands
Favorite treats of squirrels in the forest
The list of the animal’s most common food is small:
- coniferous tree seeds;
- young branches, bark, buds, tree leaves, needles;
- hazelnuts, acorns;
- mushrooms;
- berries and fruits;
- animal feed;
- tubers, rhizomes, as well as the ground part of herbaceous plants, lichens.
Shed horns of ungulates are an important source of calcium for squirrels
The share of the latter in the squirrel's diet is insignificant, but it increases significantly when other food crops fail. The main part of the diet consists of coniferous seeds, among them there are also more and less preferred ones. Pine nuts are the most delicious for animals, followed by spruce, larch, fir, and pine seeds. In case of crop failure, animals can migrate and migrate in search of food.
Animal feed is consumed mainly after winter, during the breeding season. Squirrels can also eat bird eggs, chicks, insects, frogs, and small mammals. They gnaw animal bones and shed horns of forest ungulates.
Features of nutrition in winter
For the winter, squirrels stock up on food. Cones, nuts and acorns in small quantities are buried in the ground or hidden in hollows and nests, of which one squirrel always has several. Mushrooms are also collected and then dried on tree branches.
However, furry animals often forget about their reserves and, as a rule, find them by chance, thanks to their developed sense of smell. Squirrel “forgetfulness” contributes to the renewal of the forest, because untouched supplies sprout in the spring. In addition, other animals can find them. The squirrel also successfully uses other people's warehouses (mice, chipmunks and other rodents).
Mushrooms are dried by stringing them onto branches
During the cold season, these animals eat little. They wait out bad weather in hollows and nests, and in severe frosts they do not leave them at all, falling into a half-asleep state and using up reserves. The hungriest time for squirrels is late winter and early spring. It is known that lack of food in winter, as well as infectious diseases, kill up to 85% of young squirrels.
How to help a squirrel survive the winter
It is better to endure the cold when well-fed, knowing this, many people try to help squirrels by feeding them. In addition, at this time you can completely unexpectedly become the owner of a weakened or crippled animal. In such cases, it is important to know what to feed squirrels in winter at home and in natural conditions, how and when is the best time to feed them.
Cones are the main squirrel food
The optimal squirrel diet for a full-fledged existence outside of nature
The food that you can feed the animal is very diverse. But, even knowing which products will be useful for a squirrel, it is very difficult for a beginner to navigate them and create a menu. For example, we can consider the norms of products and the frequency of their distribution to squirrels in the zoo. Below is a diet designed for one animal.
Daily:
- wheat bread – 10 g each;
- hazelnuts – 10 g each;
- pine nuts – 10 g each;
- ground nuts – 10 g each;
- sunflower seeds – 10 g;
- pumpkin seeds – 10 g;
- fruits, berries – 2 g each;
- dried fruits – 2 g each;
- hemp – 2 g each;
- dry mushrooms – 2 g each;
- salad – 2 g each;
- cottage cheese – 2 g each;
- milk – 2 g each;
- butter - 2 g;
- salt – 2 g each;
- mealworm – 2 g each;
- fish – 2 g each;
- grass, branches - in unlimited quantities;
- cones - in unlimited quantities;
- needles - in unlimited quantities.
Squirrels love nuts in shells
In one day:
- chestnut – 10 g every other day;
- chicken egg – 1 g every other day;
- apples – 5 g every other day;
- carrots – 5 g every other day;
- cabbage – 5 g every other day.
The menu should also include:
- walnuts – 10 g every 2 days;
- chalk - 2 g alternate;
- bone meal - 2 g alternate;
- honey - 2 g alternate;
- jam – alternate 2 g;
Squirrels are very funny and playful animals.
At home, it is almost impossible to stick to such a varied menu. It is important to take into account here that the squirrel should always have plant foods such as branches, grass, green cones, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, vegetables and fruits. Heavier fatty foods (nuts and seeds) should be given in small portions once a day, in the late afternoon.
A lot of fat eaten has a negative impact on the health of the animal’s liver. Some experts recommend feeding the squirrel with different types of nuts at home. For example, today - walnuts, tomorrow - forest, the day after tomorrow - cedar (no more than a tablespoon).
In addition, we must not forget about animal products and water. Keep in mind that the presence of hidden products indicates that you need to reduce the portion. The squirrel should also always have clean water; the drinking bowl should be raised slightly so that the animal does not turn it over.
There should be a lot of needles
Suitable foods to feed your adopted squirrel
Food can be fresh, dried or frozen; fruit is usually given in small pieces. In addition, each squirrel has individual preferences; what one likes may not be of interest to other animals. They may not eat whole fruits, but eat cut and peeled fruits with pleasure. Ignore the berries offered in bulk, but nibble them deliciously from the branch.
You can offer the squirrel:
- nuts (necessarily in shell) - hazelnuts, walnuts, pine, acorns (fresh and frozen), sweet chestnut, hornbeam, beech fruits;
- seeds in shell - sunflower, pumpkin, watermelon;
- green cones and cones (fresh and frozen) - spruce, larch, pine, fir, thuja, cedar;
- fruits (fresh, frozen, dried; seeds and seeds must be removed) - apple, pear, peach, apricot, banana, nectarine, watermelon, quince;
- berries (fresh, dried, frozen) - lingonberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, rowan, cranberries, blackberries, viburnum, rose hips, sea buckthorn, hawthorn, chokeberry, currants, serviceberry, mulberries, cherries (without pits), cherries (without seeds), grapes (fresh, seedless);
- vegetables - pumpkin (fresh, dried), beets (fresh, dried), cucumber, kohlrabi (fresh), carrots (fresh, dried), corn (fresh, frozen, dried), sunflower inflorescence with fresh seeds;
- dried fruits (seedless) - raisins, cherries, apricots, plums, cranberries;
- mushrooms (fresh, frozen, dry) – porcini mushroom, boletus, boletus, flywheel, chanterelle, polish, boletus, russula, honey mushrooms (fresh), saffron milk caps, chaga, tinder fungus;
- branches, leaves, inflorescences, buds - birch, willow, maple, oak, hazel, larch, aspen, spruce, linden, pine, mulberry, hornbeam, rowan, apple, cherry, plum; maybe with small green fruits;
- herbs - dandelion, chickweed, salsify, hairy grass, sorrel, sorrel, clover, milky ripe cereals on stems, young shoots of oats;
- animal products - chicken and quail (raw and boiled) eggs, cottage cheese, dried beef and fish bones, mealworms, ant pupae.
Squirrels love berries in bunches
All products must be fresh, unspoiled and of good quality.
What not to feed squirrels - prohibited foods
The basic rule for choosing food for a squirrel is that if you don’t know what kind of plant it is (mushroom, berry, grass), it’s better not to give it. Prohibited items include:
- fast food and other “human” store food;
- nuts and seeds from the supermarket – salted, sweetened, flavored, roasted;
- almond;
- fruit and berry seeds;
- mushrooms – poisonous and those that need pre-treatment (milk mushrooms, fried mushrooms, sour mushrooms, morels, strings), as well as champignons and oyster mushrooms;
- branches, leaves, fruits - apricot (fruit pulp is possible), almond, lilac, yew, elderberry, buckthorn;
- poisonous herbaceous plants: belladonna, nightshade, corydalis, lily of the valley, kupena and others.
Almonds are poison for squirrels
Rules for feeding squirrels in nature and in cultural parks
Only a few warm squirrels in their home; most try to feed red-haired beauties in parks, squares, forests, or even in their own garden. Considering the grocery lists above, you can easily put together a care package for animals in need. Naturally, dried fruits, mixtures of nuts, seeds, and wheat crackers are most convenient for this purpose.
Occasional treats and feeding on walks
There are two ways to feed a squirrel in nature. The most common is when, while walking through the park, people meet animals, which they lure and subsequently feed with the food they brought.
Adults and children have a lot of fun when the brave squirrel takes the offered product directly from their hands. This option is an ideal combination of benefits for people and animals, but its disadvantages are also obvious:
- Firstly, the squirrel still needs to be found, or it needs to find you.
- Secondly, feeding in this way is irregular.
Maximalism in feeding is unnecessary
Organization of permanent feeders
A more rational option for feeding is a feeder. You can install it almost anywhere where a furry animal lives. At the same time, anyone can place food in publicly accessible places. A feeder installed on a private property can become an additional decorative element of the site, its highlight. In this case, you can watch the squirrel without leaving your home.
Drawing of a squirrel feeder
When choosing a feeder model, you need to take into account that it must have a roof and a flat floor. Material – untreated wood is preferable. The open sides of the feeder will allow birds to feast on treats. To prevent the crows from getting everything that is offered to the squirrel, you can cut small holes in the solid walls. More original designs are also available, such as a feeder in a jar.
Feeder in a jar - beautiful and practical
Obviously, helping animals and birds survive the winter is not very difficult. You just need to not be indifferent. Using high-quality natural and unprocessed products will bring maximum benefits to animals and lift people's spirits. Be sure to tell your friends what to feed squirrels in winter and what foods are dangerous to give them in order to save as many animals as possible.
Check your home for entrances and exits. Look around the attic or area of the house where you believe you heard the sounds of a squirrel scratching with its claws. If you find more than one hole, seal all but the main hole so that the squirrel has only one way in and out. Place a trap in this place.
- Block all possible entries by attaching pieces of galvanized steel material around the openings using a special stapler.
- This is best done early in the morning, when the squirrel is likely to be out looking for food.
- If you can wait until the blazing heat of mid-summer, you won't even have to set a trap to check for animals in your attic. At this time of year, it is too hot for squirrels indoors, so in their absence you will be able to block all entry/exit points, including the main one.
Search the room for the presence of small animals. Before you catch and release an adult squirrel, it is very important to find out if there are any tiny baby squirrels left in the house. Mother squirrels usually take refuge in attics when they are about to give birth, so the chances of finding a nest somewhere inside walls or beams are quite high. A typical squirrel nest can shelter three to five babies. If you catch a mother squirrel without first rescuing her babies, they may die. Besides the fact that it is inhumane to leave babies to die, on top of that you will end up with an unpleasant odor throughout the whole house.
- If, after searching everywhere, the cubs are still not found, carefully walk along the walls. If you feel incredibly warm in a certain area of the wall, different from the rest of the wall, check: this may be where the nest will be. In this scenario, you will have to cut a hole to get the babies out and then patch the wall. Of course, this will add some problems to you, but it is much better than letting them die in the wall.
- If you find baby squirrels, then determine if they are old enough to leave the nest and survive on their own. If they are still too young to walk, wait a few weeks until their mother arrives. Otherwise, the children will starve in the nest.
Install a one-way door at the main entrance. Start by attaching a piece of galvanized steel to the inside wall of the main entrance, leaving a large hole at the bottom for a squirrel to crawl through. Bend the bottom of the galvanized steel toward the outside to create a tube-like shape. Slightly bend the teeth on the product inward. The squirrel is able to squeeze through this hole and get out, but will not be able to return back.