Spreading the Word

          takes form in our seasonal newsletter   

                           GRAY MATTERS

                                 Here are a few articles from past issues :

                                     
              Winter : COLD Comfort for Squirrels
                                                 

                                        Barbara  Bellens- Picon 
                                     Founder/Director Squirrel Sanctuary
                                           NYSLWR-Class 2

In Native American Earth Medicine ,winter represents a time for renewal and cleansing. 
Mother Nature parks herself in a deep chapter with frigid temperatures ,and acquires a  
solemn complexion. During this season many of us also tend to withdraw from the outer world,
turning inward seeking warmth ,shelter and reflection.

Adult squirrels are waging their own battles against more than the inclement weather, dwindling food sources and scanty shelter. Some in weak condition are caught by dogs and cats sustaining injuries.
Some develop abscess from wounds that require veterinary surgical opening and draining, along with antibiotic therapy. These wounds have to be kept open and flushed to facilitate healing.  You can imagine the difficulty this presents to the rehabilitator when faced with this kind of case. An alert ,wild adult does not realize what your sincere intentions are and will view you as the predator.

Adult squirrels that are admitted to the Sanctuary require cautious handling .Squirrels have razor sharp claws that can cause injury to the rehabilitator. Squirrel incisors are strong enough to go down to the bone of your finger. Safety to the rehabilitator is a primary concern along with minimizing stress to the squirrel.

We receive adult squirrels often in compromised conditions. Rehabbers should first gain practical experience with mentored supervising in order to acquire and perfect skills to successfully handle these types of cases.  In the wild an instinctual behavior is that a sick adult squirrel will return back to his nest and die so the body will not be found. 

On suburban Long Island, adult gray squirrels are often unfortunate victims of hit and run
drivers found by a concerned citizen after the fact. The rehabilitation process is complex and challenges us to assessment ,diagnosis, x-rays, dispensing prescribed medications, sometimes surgery, and in some cases, a lengthy recovery . An xray is may rule out a fractured spine in which case there is little hope for recovery .However an intact spinal xray offers cautious optimism. If the trauma has happened within 24 hours an anti-inflammatory steroid is prescribed by the veterinarian and given to reduce spinal and brain swelling. There are no hard and fast rules governing this type of injury. Following a severe head injury, squirrels that are conscious may have to be hand fed, because their limbs don't function well, and muscle coordination is poor. Due to the stress of captive care some lose their appetite temporarily and we carefully feed them a liquid supplement through a syringe.Their strength can be regained through this procedure.
 
We can rehab a squirrel for 3 weeks and see slow but steady progress.  We hopefully anticipate that the progress will continue but sometimes it does not. Some animals reach a plateau and remain at that point, not regaining the skills they lost prior to the accident ,not being able to be successfully released . We are then faced with a humane euthanasia. The joy of watching an injured animal recover and progress only to a point turns to sorrow when we come to realize that they can’t be returned as lost skills were never regained. We are nonetheless at bittersweet peace with our decision that we have allowed time for healing and restoration, without unnecessary suffering. 

Not all the cases are grim though, in fact ,squirrel sanctuary has a very high success rate
of hit by car and trauma cases that have made remarkable recovery and were successfully returned back to the wild.  !

Returned with repaired jaws that had needed wiring, limbs that were broken and mended, and comatose patients that are now able to run and climb with the best.

Eastern gray squirrel    January 1999-released June 1999

Nonetheless in winter many of us find comfort in gathering our energies,as no squirrel shall be forgotten. Their memories and spirits intertwined into germinating the seeds of beckoning Springtime.

         MISCHIEVOUS , MISUNDERSTOOD

 
      Barbara  Hausman
        Squirrel Sanctuary President  , Nyslwr

We are all born into this world not knowing what life holds for us.This fact goes for wildlife 
as well and squirrels seem to have more of their share of hard times.
For starters the squirrel is a misunderstood mammal. They are rodents and people's first  
impression is that they are vermin. They can of course be capable of destruction if they end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Many people view them as nuisance wildlife. What they don't see however is that
they can be quite charming when in their own environment. In as much as squirrels are very
much a part of our urban community we watch them from our windows, see them 
scurry across our lawns and even welcome  them at our backyard feeders, in this urban
community life can be hard.
There are lots of hazards the squirrel must contend with :there are poisons, which 
homeowners put out as bait for mice rats and other animals. There are lawn chemicals used
to create lush green outdoor carpets but which cling to resident squirrel's fur making it easy to accidently  ingest later, while grooming. 

Then there are attacks by cats and dogs both feral and domestic.

And then the automobile which makes crossing any road, hazardous. Trees are their home of choice but with so many trees being cut down-often needlessly- the squirrel looks elsewhere for shelter. The shelter may be in the form of a hole in the roof thus you get a squirrel in your attic.
Poisons or traps are used to evict this unwanted tenant but to compound the problem, the mother squirrel could be the victim, leaving behind a nest of orphans unable to survive without her. We may be guilty of doing one or more of these things that make the squirrel's life harder, and we may do some of this unintentionally, but we must become more aware of how our actions can affect other living things. People say" its only a squirrel" but think of these animals when you look at a tree that is cleaning  the air you breathe, or creating forests that shade us from the sun. They are friends of the trees,aerating the soil as they bury their food there and keeping trees healthy by eating some of the insects that invade them. Squirrels wants and needs are very simple.

We'd like to keep it that way. 

Talking with Ward Stone

   Interview by Caryn Eve Murray   

                             NYSLWR, Squirrel Sanctuary Board 

    Ward Stone ,the state's wildlife pathologist, conducts countless necropsies on animals sent by rehabilitators to determine whether causes of death were viral, congenital, pathological or in increasing number of instances, due to poisoning. Stone ,who is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator shared his insights with Caryn Eve Murray about dangers and other chemicals pose to squirrels.

Q: How common are squirrel poisonings and are they increasing?

A : We know that it is not an uncommon thing for squirrels to be poisoned but very often we don't  know whether or not someone did it on purpose or if they wee after rats or mice and the rodenticides were available to the squirrels. We certainly suspect that in a number of cases it was on purpose.
There are people out there that don't mind squirrels coming to their bird feeders and who even put out food for  squirrels but also there are those people who absolutely hate squirrels. 
We have a problem in our society. People purposely poison canada geese, mallard ducks, pigeons,  anything that is able to live close to people and reach a pretty good level of population.

Q: So bird poisons can be just as lethal to squirrels?

A : I have been looking at Avitrol ( a bird poison) as being highly toxic to mammals. But it is  highly unlikely that anyone would diagnose those mortalities, even me. Every kind of poisoning requires a different kind of chemical analysis..

Q : So you can't always prove the animal has been poisoned ?

A: You may not come up with anything, no, or you are going to run out of tissues to test 
because a squirrel is pretty small. I have been doing work with Avitrol  poisonings on birds in NYC. and I am sure this Avitrol has got to be killing squirrels.

Q : What about deaths from Rodenticides themselves ?

A : We see a lot of anti-coagulants, those cause bleeding. Thats what happens, it affects 
the clotting mechanism, in fact it is one of the most common ones we see. And you don't need
a permit for that, people find it in the grocery .It is a pretty slow death. They bleed internally 
or if they have a little nick, bleed like a hemophiliac. It also kills other things too, like hawks 
that eat the dead rodents afterwards.

Q: Are there no antidotes ?

A: To some of these things, yes. For the anticoagulant, vitamin k is the antidote. Obviously 
keeping the animal warm and replacing fluids from blood loss and vitamin k. But you are dealing  with free living animals, wild animals and if they feel sick a squirrel may go into its nest or into a hollow of a tree never to be seen again. And if they are down on the ground, falling over, they already may be in the final stages, so if you pick them up it is really very difficult to bring them back..it is not like a human or dog or cat when you start noticing a problem.

Q: Spring lawn care season is here: how much of a danger do lawn and chemicals pose to squirrels and other wildlife?

A: Spraying trees with tree soap is a much better approach than using highly toxic pesticides.
I would much rather see the soaps. But on lawns when you put things in the grass that kills the
birds and you have to wonder what that means to human health in the long run, for health of  
pets like dogs and cats and even little children playing in the grass..It is safer to have species 
diversity ,plant diversity in the grass, that's important. If the lawn is a multi-culture with a variety  of grasses that is good. A monoculture is very foolish. When you cut down on species diversity  and you kill off even the earthworms with chemicals it is not a very good place for wildlife either.

Q : Do you have any general advice to homeowners who want to care for their homes as
well as their wildlife neighbors ?

A :Yes, if you can use other kinds of controls.. that are more environmentally protective..
both of the target species and others that's the way to go. Look for a permanent mechanical  
way like lines and wires to, say, keep the birds from sitting where you don't want them,
rather than poisoning them. Tighten up your buildings so squirrels don't get in the attic. Go with 
these mechanical controls and then, evaluate each situation. Are the squirrels really doing anything harmful by coming through your yard? Is it so very harmful if they eat a little millet that falls off  your bird feeder? Why go out of your way to kill it? They are adding
something to your yard by being there, they are adding grace and beauty to your yard.

A Beautiful Gem -An episode from Ramayana retold by Shanta Rameshwar Rad

While the monkeys were building the bridge, a small squirrel took pebbles in its mouth and brought them to the workers: These are to help in building the bridge to Lanka so that blessed Rama may bring back his wife. I must do my share of the work.' `You, what?' cried a monkey. `I am helping to build the bridge,
sir,' replied the squirrel. `Look, I am carrying the small pebbles that with your rocks will help to from the bridge.'

"The monkeys burst into a mighty roar of laughter. By this time a crowd of monkeys had collected and the first monkey roared out, Did you hear that? The squirrel says she's building a bridge with her pebbles! Haha! I've never heard anything so funny in my life.' The other monkeys thought it was a good joke too.
They held their sides and laughed. When they could laugh no more they said to the squirrel: `Here, little creature. Do you think Rama is in need of your pebbles? He commands the largest army in the Seven Worlds, and for him we carry whole mountains with their granite and rock. He does not want your little pebbles.'
The squirrel said, `I cannot carry mountains or rocks. God has only given me strength to carry my pebbles. I cannot do more, but this I will do, for my heart weeps for the sorrowing Rama,
and what I can do to help, I will.' The monkeys said, `Enough of your foolishness, little one. We have no time for play and for the likes of you. Go home to your nest in the trees and let us get on with our work.'
"But the squirrel would not go. Again and again the monkeys picked her up and put her down out of the way, and again and again she returned, with her pebbles. Then the monkeys were
angry and threatened to throw her into the sea. Still the squirrel said, `But I want to help too.' Then an angry monkey picked up the little squirrel and flung her away. But she, crying the name of Rama, fell into his hands, where he stood. And Rama held the little squirrel close to him and said to the monkeys,
`Despise not the weak and the small, for according to each man's strength will he serve. And to me what matters is not how great the strength and service, but how great the love and devotion.
This little squirrel with her pebbles has love in her heart that would move the earth and the heavens by its strength and power.' And he chid them for their pride. But the squirrel he held close to him and said: `Little one, your devotion has touched my heart. Be blessed then by me whom you have loved and served.'
So saying, he stroked the little squirrel's furry back. And as he put her down all who had crowded round saw upon the brown fur the three white lines that were the marks of Sri Rama's fingers.
And ever since, the Indian squirrel has carried the three white stripes on its back."

    The Legacy

     Caryn Eve Murray
     Nyslwr ,Squirrel Sanctuary Board 

   Like the start of life itself, the newborn squirrel is fragile, unpredictable and immeasurably precious.
It is hard to believe that a 15-gram, bean-shaped life form, pink and blind and wriggling, possesses every ingredient at that moment for its eventual emergence into a graceful being that, strong and  wiry, will someday dance in the trees. And yet it is all there, destined to happen, if this newborn survives its first few days, or weeks.
But most seasoned wildlife rehabilitators know that the "if," especially in this context, is a weighty word.
As a second year rehabilitator, I did not - not until last August, when a group of neonates came out
of the wild suddenly and into my care. Three were wrested from their nest by a tree-cutter who acted without so much as a cursory check for wild babies of any kind; the fourth was a single male 
who came in, under unknown circumstances, as a referral from a local veterinarian.The timing of this challenge seemed right: This year I was committed to gaining more ease in handling newborn squirrels, whose papery, translucent skin, miniature limbs, and often sticky, squirmy bodies, both charmed and intimidated me.And what I discovered was that even the most painstaking care, under the most carefully  
controlled circumstances, sometimes is not enough. Mixing formula precisely, feeding like clockwork, keeping tabs on temperature, stimulating gently, encouraging slow nursing, is not enough. Loving them and caring for them is not enough, not if Mother Nature, or genetics, or circumstances of their violently interrupted lives, have any say in the matter.And they often do. Optimistic that they'd been brought to me in time, however, I set about tending to their needs. I was awestruck by their small size, no match for the enormity of details in their care. I weighed them  (they were 20 to 22 grams), gave a physical exam to check for bruises and dehydration  (which was minor). They were placed in a small plastic container with a vented lid, and ample bedding, and the temperature, from a heating pad beneath, 
was kept at around 90 degrees. I rehydrated them over time, started with Ringers, then a weak formula and built up, over a day, to full-strength. A little coaxing, dipping the latex nipple in warm water to make its temperature welcoming, and their mouths opened, like small flower buds discovering sweet sunshine,  
and they suckled.One had a hernia - a huge sac protruding from his left side - and he had some deep internal bruises.  But he had a good appetite and willing spirit. A trip to the vet assured me that the hernia itself was not life-threatening, and could be later corrected with surgery when he was bigger. The others two boys and a girl seemed, at the outset, to be fine.It was, of course, a challenge to feed them while keeping them warm I wrapped them in a small, soft "pocket" of cloth, which also simplified the gentle 
handling of their delicate bodies). In the beginning, I fed so slowly it took about 60 seconds for each tenth of a cc of fluid to pass through their lips, but they were just starting. A very few nose bubbles, which I learned were to be expected, surfaced but their breathing which I checked often, told me their lungs were clear. They gained weight after the first day or so. Just a gram, on average, but it was a good sign. 
Their elimination was frequent and healthy, devoid of diarrhea or suspicious discharge. They kicked and squealed and squirmed and despite my physical exhaustion, I had energy enough to love them and hold them and feed them every 3 hours or so. The first death occurred three days later. The squirrel with the hernia died, most likely succumbing to the bruises that left their signature in blackish purple blotches across his abdomen, groin and underbelly. I had given the homeopathic remedy, Arnica, several times, as instructed for trauma and bruising, but he simply shut down and died. The next day, two more died, only hours after their digestive systems similarly shut down. The biggest, healthiest, fattest and liveliest one - a boy - was my one hope, the one survivor of the bunch. He had a voracious appetite and a bit of wanderlust that drew him outside his immediate bedding and into the still-warm "wilds" of the lining inside the container where they all slept. I took that as a good, encouraging sign for his prospects. Rehabilitator friends warned me that even a 50 percent survival rate is good for neonates ,but I was already well past those odds. I hung my hopes, all my hopes, on this one. I fed him, envisioning him being released in late fall, just as the leaves were turning and the acorn harvest was upon us. He would open his eyes and see the world from the enviable high vantage point of maple branches. When he died - his digestive system shut down, he stopped eliminating and then he too was gone .I cradled his body in my palm and wondered what had happened, whether I had failed them all, or whether I had simply failed to understand their fragile state. Sympathetic, understanding rehabilitators more seasoned than I tried to offer explanations, most of them half-consolation, half-speculation, and I have tried to make peace with the passing of these babies.So little is known about these newcomers' experiences and condition before we get them, and so much of that unknown universe has direct bearing on whether they make it. Neonates truly are naked to the world, with a vulnerability that can cost them the chance they need. They are no match for the chainsaw, nor the 30-foot earthbound plummet from a tree. Over extended periods of time, they are no match even for balmy summer afternoon temperatures. The legacy of these four delicate, transient creatures, then, is the familiarity I gained in handling and feeding the youngest of the young, in observing and assessing, and in knowing what is normal. I learned the milk line should be visible in their stomachs and yes, it's all right if the feces are mustard-colored, so long as they are firm. I can also read now the more painful signs, the ones that tell me the animal  is not just being a fussy eater but is beginning a fatal decline. There is no other way to learn this. No workshop, no textbook, no video can impart the
facts or the feeling in quite this way. In learning to care for squirrels, I have been lucky: I have been blessed with some wonderful human mentors. But here, within the difficult curriculum of neonate squirrel care, I could not have found four better tutors.

    RABIES   SHATTERING      THE MYTH

  Interview with Charles Trimarchi - by Barbara Bellens- Picon

There are many ailments, from mange to botfly,
that can befall wild squirrels but contrary 
to popular misconceptions, rabies is not likely to be among them.

CHARLES TRIMARCHI-  Director of the Rabies Laboratory at the NYS Dept of Health,
studies and evaluates rabies patterns for the state. The laboratory, located at Wadswoth Center
in Albany NY is considered the nations most comprehensive  public health laboratory. Trimarchi, interviewed by Barbara Bellens-Picon, spoke to set some rabies myths straight:

Q : What is rabies and how is it transmitted?

A : Rabies is a viral infection of the central nervous system of mammals..The virus is maintained 
by  animal to animal transmission in domestic dogs, terrestrial wildlife and bats in many parts 
of the world.
Rabies is almost always transmitted by an actual bite from an infected animal while it is  
sick with rabies. Exposure is defined as a bite from a rabid animal or contact of saliva or  
neural tissues from a rabid animal with mucous membrane or fresh cut or open wound.

Q : What animals are likely to carry the virus in New York State ?

A : Rabies is prevalent in raccoons throughout New York State with the exception of
Long Island  and Franklin County. Raccoons in affected areas occasionally transmit  
the disease to a variety of  other wildlife, particularly skunk and fox and unvaccinated 
domestic animals. Rabies also cycles in New York bat populations.

Q : Why do you think people associate rabies with squirrels in New York?

A : All mammals are suseptible to rabies infection. Small rodents such as  squirrels and
chipmunks may become infected only rarely because of their ability to avoid bites 
from rabies infected animals. Furthermore if attacked by a rabid raccoon or fox, they may
be unlikely to survive the attack.

Q: Has there ever been a documented case of rabies in a squirrel in New York ?

A: There has not been a laboratory confirmed rabid squirrel in New York since the advent
of modern diagnostic methods...Generally one does not need to worry about rabies from
contact with small rodents. However bites from small rodents with unusual circumstances
such as an unprovoked attack, must be reported to the local health agency.

* Dr Trimarchi  is head of the rabies lab and is considered an authority .

Visit the Wadsworth center online at  http://www.wadsworth.org/rabies  to read monthly updated stats of rabid animals in New York State.

The Nose Knows 

Speaking of squirrels, a study shows that they can recognize their relatives with one sniff. While researching two species of ground squirrel, Cornell University psychologist Jill M. Mateo found that squirrels can decide whether other squirrels are related (and to what degree) by smelling the odors emitted by their glands. She discovered that Belding's ground squirrels spent the least amount of time investigating the scent of unfamiliar 3/4 siblings (same father and mothers who are sisters). They spent a little more time investigating the scent of more distant relatives like aunts and grandmothers, and much more time on remote relatives (e.g. cousins). They investigated the scents of unrelated squirrels longest. Golden-mantled ground squirrels have the same aptitude for sniffing out their kin. Mateo says, "The study suggests there are these discrimination abilities out there that we've been ignoring for a long time. Once you understand those mechanisms and abilities for the potential for kin recognition, we can better understand how they make or don't make use of that ability."

FROM THE KID'S CORNER:   THE NEXT GENERATION

                  MAYA'S  MESSAGE