Red squirrels (Sciurus Vulgaris)
The native Red squirrels had been once a typical sight across the mainland of Britain, now they are sparsely situated about Scotland, and places thought to be inaccessible to the greys, such as the Isle or Wight and Anglesey. In truth far more then 75% of Britain’s estimated 160,000 red squirrels are discovered in Scotland.
Now they could turn out to be extinct in the subsequent 20 years, as their population has dropped 50% in the last 50 years.
Grey squirrels carry a virus known as the ‘pox virus’, initial found in Scotland in 2005, which they (the greys are immune to) but it causes deadly to the reds.
Pox illness and the loss of considerably woodland over the UK have contributed to their decline.
The red squirrel is facing a lengthy tiring battle against the grey’s that are spreading this virus quickly.
Red squirrels are most at residence amongst sweet chestnut, wild cherry, hazel and beech trees, they prefer to travel inside the tree canopies rather then the woodland grounds, as opposed to to grey squirrels.
They are highly adapted to the woodland habitat in which they live, with their lightweight bodies, lengthy claws, and bushy tails for balance
Their capacity to climb, swing and jump is in fact incredible.
You could of observed a squirrel in the past and noticed that it freezes when it has observed you move, they often remain frozen like that for up to 10 minutes, until they believe its safe to move once again.
They create up significant nests known as ‘dreys’ made up of twigs, leaves moss and hair, in the forks or trunks of their chosen tree, and this is where they will bread and invest a lot of their nocturnal time when not out looking for food.
Their diet consists of seed, shrubs, nuts, shoots, flowers, and the odd birds egg if they are lucky sufficient to come across.
Which they can be appropriate or left handed when consuming. They need to have to eat daily to preserve up their energies, if not then they rapidly succumb to starvation and disease. The autumn food harvest is vital for their survival throughout the winter months.
They normally live up to 6 years but this age span is slowly obtaining shorter, as their food source gets tougher to discover and their competition thrives.
They mate in between January and March and tend to have a litter of about 3-4 kittens, they often have two litters per year.
They encounter yet another danger when it comes to predators, 1 of which becoming the Goshawk which are effective birds of prey who thrive on hunting there prey throughout the dark woodlands.
Article by Jeannette Balleza
“This is Freedom–as a good a name as any,” Thomas Young said, gesturing to a mature bald eagle perched within a large wire cage. “Freedom is going to have his freedom if I have to sell my soul to get his wing fixed.”
Discovered in Cairo, Oklahoma, Freedom suffered from two bullet wounds, and Young, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, master falconer and ornithologist, received the injured eagle from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. As Director of the Arkansas Native Plant & Wildlife Center at Queen Wilhelmina State Park, Young oversees the care, rehabilitation and release of hundreds of animals, including native wildlife such as black bears, deer, cougars, bobcats, wolves, coyotes and, of course, birds of prey like Freedom.
In a fundraising effort to finance Freedom’s wing surgery, Young enlisted another resident raptor named Micro, an American kestral, which is the smallest and most common of falcons. Three sparrows were trapped inside the Wal-Mart in Mena, and the store’s owners promised a generous donation to the Center pending Micro’s successful disposal of the feathered intruders.
Young upheld his promise, setting free a mended Freedom in January and marking the 23rd bald eagle release of his career. In addition, he has released 12 bears, 18 golden eagles and thousands of hawks and owls during his 19 years of wildlife rehabilitation work.
“Tom is one of the most dedicated persons I know,” asserted Joyce Tinsley, Park Superintendent of Queen Wilhelmina State Park. “His every waking moment is consumed with the Wildlife Center, rehab work and keeping his dream alive! I am very impressed with what he is accomplishing with the Center. Our guests have reported ‘life-changing’ experiences due to Tom’s vision and one-on-one visits with Tom and the animals.”
With over 100 injured, ill and orphaned wild animals in his charge, Young’s days are filled with administering veterinary care and physical therapy, feeding, medicating, exercising and pre-release conditioning his charges. “The goal here is to release everything that I can before it gets any colder,” he declared. On the other hand, some animals are ineligible for release yet provide the Center with valuable research or become educational aids for awareness programs.
One such animal at the Center is a black bear named Harold. As a cub, Harold was kidnapped from his den and given parvo and distemper vaccines meant for dogs; now Harold, infected for life because of his previous owner’s ignorance, must remain in captivity. Other mammalian inhabitants include a razorback named Razor, a bobcat called Tigger and Sheena, a formidable mountain lion and Young’s favorite wrestling partner.
Currently, the Center houses 57 birds of prey. Genghis, a red-tailed hawk, is a falconry bird that hunts on behalf of the other raptors at the Center. While Young drives down the road at 60-70 mph, Genghis eyes prey from the road, namely crows, and then darts from the window of the moving truck, returning with a fresh supply of food.
Buzzy is an uncanny black vulture, born on Black Fork Mountain but raised at the Center. “The darling of the park” according to Tinsley, Buzzy fledged and was released, but he never left the park. He frequents the lodge when the Center is closed, and he is famous for befriending guests and tirelessly following Young. “Buzzy is highly underrated as far as intelligence. I’d put him up there with a 3-year-old child,” commented Young. “He’s the zoo’s jester. He’s always up to something.”
Young also cares for a pair of Harris hawks. Naturally social birds, these hawks are unusual because they hunt in pairs or even groups. Referred to as the “Cadillacs of the falconer’s world” by Young, Harris hawks are ideal for falconry meets because they cooperatively hunt prey without killing one another.
Snow, a precious gift to the Center from a falconer in Wisconsin, is one of very few white peregrine falcons in the world. Birds like Snow average life spans of 80 to 100 years. “Snow is 32,” remarked Young, supporting the beautifully pristine bird on his right hand. “I’m 34, so he’ll outlive me easily.”
Clyde is an 8-year-old alligator that Young discovered at Lake DeGray. During the winter months, Clyde stays in one of 3 temperature-controlled reptile houses with more than 70 hibernating snakes, including a huge state-record rattlesnake and a pygmy rattlesnake.
Raised from a baby, Bunny is a full-grown squirrel, but Young is waiting to release him until the time is right. “All the squirrels from last year have been spending all summer gathering acorns to last through the winter. He doesn’t have that stash, so he has to wait until spring.” Releases must be planned for the appropriate season, weather, habitat and location.
During May and June, the Center “gets boxfuls of baby squirrels, raccoons and skunks,” revealed Young. With up to 1,000 bottle babies, Young and a team of volunteers work constantly to nurture the newly born animals. Young keeps an arsenal of the following items during this busy season: 15 cans of goat’s milk, customized formulas, kitten milk replacement, puppy milk replacement, 10 gallons of produce, 15 pounds of dog food and bottles of vitamins A, B, C and D.
Normally the Center’s weekly average cost for food is 6.00, which covers corn and grain for the herbivores as well as meat and fish for the large mammals and raptors. However, during the spring and the following months, costs can increase to ,129.48 in perishables over a solid 5-month period.
A non-profit organization, the Center operates largely on donations and offers wildlife programs and educational tours. To learn more about wildlife rehabilitation, inquire about volunteer opportunities or schedule a visit to the Center, contact Thomas or LaVonda Young at 479.437.3750 or 479.243.0976.
Please send tax-deductible donations to the following address:
Arkansas Native Plant & Wildlife Center
307 Westmoreland Drive
Mena, Arkansas 71953
479.437.3750
I am a wildlife rehabilitator. This is Shakespeare, a 5 week old baby squirrel receiving her first solid food. As you can see, she simply gums her cheerio just like any baby would! Luna is the 4 week old baby squirrel with her eyes closed that gets in the way of the camera. These squirrels have both grown up to adulthood and have had a successful release back into the wild at this point!
Video Rating: 4 / 5