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Date Posted: Wednesday, June 16, 03:40:57pm
Author: tony
Subject: Re: I need Help
In reply to: Glorya 's message, "I need Help" on Monday, June 14, 10:52:05am


How is his diet? Is he still eating? What are you feeding him, is he getting enough vitamines, calcium, D3? Rather than re-invent the wheel, Katie has put a great site together with all the basic flyer information:

http://www.katiedid.net/sfspage.html

Let us know how he's doing and BTW what's the little guy's name.

tony

>I have a male flying squirrel and usually he is very
>playful, but the last two days he will not come out of
>his nest except to eat and drink water. When I try to
>pet him, he runs back inside his nest. This is
>strange because usually he can't wait to get out and
>play. This is my first Fs and I do not know much
>about handling one and playing with one. He was
>captured when he was two weeks old and the mother was
>killed. He is now four and 1/2 months old. He knows
>my voice and usually comes straight to me.

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[> Glorya, wild flyers often have problems that don't develop right away ... -- Beverly, Saturday, June 19, 09:07:42am

(Glorya, wild flyers often have problems that don't develop right away ...) - they can have external or internal parasites, protozoa, fungus, and bacterial infection, that might not 'blossom' immediately. I'm hoping you've gotten some contact from a knowledgeable flyer owner/breeder, and that your little guy is okay. You would do well to review Katiedid's site, at your leisure, but when you have a 'crisis', I'd suggest you contact the National Flying Squirrel Association for an immediate recommendation, or for a referral to someone who can provide immediate assistance/information, or a vet referral.
If your flyer is okay, you need to review some of the basic needs of all flyers, including their dietary requirements. Along with Katiedid's site, I'd like to invite you to review Keeping a Flying Squirrel as a Household Companion, from my site, The Den Drey at Phantom Farm. This is an excerpt:

Feeding a southern flying squirrel is a simple thing. Hard shelled nuts are vital, as they provide not only nutrition, but necessary tooth care. Like all rodents, flying squirrels have gnawing incisors with open roots, that grow continuously during the squirrel's life. Without hard gnawing surfaces, these teeth can grow too long, and create a serious danger to the squirrel's ability to eat, at all. Hazelnuts, Pecans, Walnuts and Hickories are all favoured by flying squirrels. White oak acorns offer less tooth care, but are still favoured. Red oak acorns are less prized, as they tend to be bitter, and contain more tannin. The flowers, buds and seeds of the sugar maple are enjoyed, as are the same parts of the honey locust. Pine nuts, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed and corn are all enjoyed. Flyers also benefit from fresh fruit and vegetables. Apples, pears, peach, nectarines, plums, grapes and berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries), are all important to a flyer's diet. Flyers often enjoy broccoli and cauliflower, and spring greens such as dandelion, and white clover flowers. Insects such as Japanese beetle grubs and June bugs, crickets, and such, are a valuable source of protein, but a word to the wise - collecting from the neighbourhood can be a danger. Even if you do not use pesticides, if your neighbours do (for instance, on their roses, etc), you can wind up poisoning your flyer. It may be better to limit the insect items to those raised specifically for pet use - wax worms, crickets and meal worms are all easily found from pet supply companies. Offering a liberal and varied diet will do much to maintain a healthy flyer.

As is true for all life, a clean source of water is vital. Because of their nocturnal nature, a source of Vitamin D3 is suggested, and the easiest way to provide this is with a liquid multivitamin formulated for mammals, in the dosage recommended for small rodents (do not overdose). A calcium block is often suggested, as is a mineralised salt block (often sold for rabbits, etc.) The advantage of a block over a powder is the little ones seem to know instinctively whether or not they need this mineral in their diet, and will chew on the block only when needed, provided there are other things to use, for the natural desire to gnaw (such as an oak or locust or maple firelog split). Although many use rodent ball-type water bottles, an open dish of water provides perhaps a more natural drinking position, for a squirrel. Care needs to be taken to freshen water daily, when using a liquid vitamin. These squirrels dehydrate easily, and a shallow water dish that cannot be tipped is highly recommended.

If a flying squirrel has many things with which to occupy its time and energy, they will seldom eat themselves into obesity. However, if kept caged, without enough exercise, they can get fat, which will likely shorten their life spans. Most nuts and seeds, and corn, are high-fat foods; thus one should watch a flyer's weight and condition, and offer more fruit than high-fat foods. Still, keep in mind their metabolism is designed for nuts & seeds. A careful balance must be maintained, but offered the variety, and the mental activity, most flyers are capable of monitoring their own diet.



>I have a male flying squirrel and usually he is very
>playful, but the last two days he will not come out of
>his nest except to eat and drink water. When I try to
>pet him, he runs back inside his nest. This is
>strange because usually he can't wait to get out and
>play. This is my first Fs and I do not know much
>about handling one and playing with one. He was
>captured when he was two weeks old and the mother was
>killed. He is now four and 1/2 months old. He knows
>my voice and usually comes straight to me.

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