Thursday, March 4, 2010

PP&M

So I've been posting about three infant squirrels that I brought home Sunday. They are #17, 18 and 19 of my at home rehabs -- not supposed to name them. The feeling is, they aren't pets... They're wild, and since they will return to the wild you don't want to hamper them by imprinting your human-beingness on them too much.

(You want them to be afraid of humans, because too many of them do things like shooting them for sport or stew, running them over with their cars or feeding them things that aren't good for them. Stepping off soap box now)

However, for the sake of my stories, I shall hereby refer to these two little boys and a girl as Peter, Paul and Mary.

Here is a little movie of typical behavior. No matter that they can barely crawl, these babies have the strongest snouts! They like to push their noses under something -- a piece of fabric, a sibling's body, my neck or hair... Other behavior this shows is how they jerk while deeply asleep. We do this sometimes but these guys do it all the time. Amazing they don't wake themselves up.
(We shall not cackle that Mary is smashing her little nose past her brother's privates for a sec).

(I put my finger in there so you can judge their size)
My theory is that their little nervous systems are wired so tightly this is what happens. Just today I saw a little gray sitting in someone's driveway and he leapt straight up in the air. It wasn't because he was starting to run off somewhere. He was just sitting there, minding his own business when his body leapt straight up.

Here's an example of the little ones doing more of that. Like a little bowl of popcorn.. They look like peaceful and still - at first. One pops, then another (and that other, on the right, if you look really closely, seems to be dreaming of drinking milk... Watch her little mouth.)


Endless source of amusement!

7 comments:

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

Cute as kittens! Never tire of watching them!

Rockwrites said...

It's funny Teri, I was thinking of your kittens when I was taking them and uploading them, as I have sat many a night and watched your little movies over and over. Joy just comes out of the screen at me when I do!

Jain said...

Awwww. Thanks so much for posting these videos. I love to watch them.

(I used to name my critters - just to keep them straight - but then had an un-naming ceremony when I released them, to be sure the wild ones wouldn't make fun of them!)

@eloh said...

Peter, Paul and Mary it is until they are old enough to name themselves.
Thanks for the video.

Rockwrites said...

HI Jain. It's so cool that you have done this very thing.. and more. I like your idea of an unnaming ceremony! So you could keep them all the way to release? If I only had a yard... I live in a high rise so I have to turn them in once they can eat nuts to The Center, where I can go in and care for them as they learn to get off milk, but then they go to someone who has outdoor cages and can do the soft release. Wish I could do it all the way through!

Rockwrites said...

Hi @eloh -
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll come again. I laughed out loud at your comment! :-)

ellen abbott said...

I love that you take care of these baby squirrels and I love that I get to experience it without having to do it.