How to Keep Tri-color Squirrels? Detailed Guide to Raising Methods and Precautions
The tri-color squirrel has a body length of about 20 cm and originates from the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Its back and tail are dark reddish-brown, with a stripe-like white band running from both cheeks to the sides, the forelimbs and flanks are yellowish-brown, and the belly is white. Among squirrels whose fur colors are generally plain and monotonous, it is a relatively gorgeous species. It lives in trees, but most of its food is obtained from the ground. Let's take a look below at how to keep tri-color squirrels!
How Much Do Tri-color Squirrels Cost
The market price range for tri-color squirrels is very wide, and prices vary greatly between different locations and different qualities. On the market, they usually cost around 30 to 300 yuan each.
What Do Tri-color Squirrels Eat
Tri-color squirrels like to eat plant-based food and occasionally eat meat. Their vegetarian diet mainly consists of dried nuts and seeds such as Korean pine, spruce, fir, larch, Scots pine, hazelnuts, and acorns, while their meat-based diet mainly consists of insects, larvae, ant eggs, and other small animals. When food is scarce between seasons, tri-color squirrels have other choices. In spring they eat tree buds, in summer they eat mushrooms, cloudberries, bilberries, and other berries, and by autumn food is extremely abundant, so they have no worries about eating and drinking and can eat whatever they want, but the most palatable thing is still Korean pine nuts.
How to Keep Tri-color Squirrels
1. Breeding method: Squirrels generally reach sexual maturity at about 9 to 10 months of age and can begin mating. January to February and April to May each year are the peak estrus periods, when the conception rate is relatively high. The gestation period of the female squirrel is about 38 days. About 1 to 2 weeks before the expected birth, the pregnant female can be moved into a birthing box. Males and females must be separated into different cages, plenty of water and food must be provided, and mealworms should be dropped in when necessary. After the young are born, they begin to eat feed at 1 week of age, and can be given some fresh fruit and high-quality concentrated feed. They can be weaned at 5 weeks of age and kept in separate cages.
2. Food and feeding: Squirrels seem to feed mainly on the seeds of Fagaceae plants, but in nature they also eat a considerable number of insects, so it is best to also feed them some animal-based food. Nuts such as walnuts and chestnuts are squirrels' favorites. Biting open the hard shells is not only a game for squirrels but also helps wear down their teeth. It is best to feed this kind of food often. If artificial feed is the main food, apples and other foods should also be supplemented.
3. Cage: Squirrels are very lively and especially like climbing trees, and their activity space is relatively three-dimensional, so a wide and tall cage should be chosen as much as possible. Since squirrels are accustomed to building nests in trees, the nest box should be installed high up in the cage. A bird nest box with an entrance at a high position can be used instead. Squirrels move very quickly, so be careful when opening and closing doors to avoid letting them escape through the gap. If they do escape, avoid being bitten by the squirrel if you suddenly grab it forcefully.
4. Dietary restrictions: Squirrels should not eat meat or egg foods, as these have a great impact on the gastrointestinal digestive system. Vegetables that should not be eaten raw: carrots, potatoes, beans, ginger, scallions, garlic, chili peppers, etc. Fruits and vegetables that should not be eaten in large amounts: Chinese cabbage, rapeseed, lettuce, celtuce, lotus root, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, banana, orange, watermelon, pear, etc. They should not eat preserved dried fruits, candied fruits, unripe or processed nuts, as these are not easy to digest. Beverages, especially carbonated drinks. Tea leaves (there are reports of squirrels dying after eating tea leaves). Cat and dog pet food (because it contains meat). Apple seeds and cherry pits (toxic to squirrels). Insects should not be eaten; although insects are nutritious, eating them will increase a squirrel's wildness. Foods containing chocolate and caffeine should not be eaten. These two things can make squirrels overly excited, which is bad for both their body and mood, and in severe cases can lead to death from an excessively fast heart rate or heart failure.
6. Daily management: Remove feces and often keep the cage and enclosure clean and hygienic. In order to clean the fur and benefit the squirrel's health, clean every morning before feeding. Feeding utensils should be disinfected regularly, and a sand bath should be given at least once a week. A sand bath box that can hold 4 liters of sand is suitable. Put fine sand in the box, and each sand bath should last 20 to 30 minutes, which can enhance health. Some thin wooden sticks can also be placed in the cage to let the squirrel gnaw on them.