Care Guide Reference

Red Squirrels
Sciurus vulgaris
Europe & Northern Asia

DIET:

Sunflower seeds, nuts, pine nuts in particular, carrots, apples, a mixture of grain like for pigeons or pheasants and they love corn on the cob. We suspend the whole plant from the aviary roof with the corn at the bottom to make them work for the food!

AVIARY:

Minimum breeding aviary 1.5 X 1.5 X 2.5 metres high. A wooden frame is possible but they bite and chew it. Much larger would be appreciated.

Put the wire on the inside of the frame if possible.

Concrete or wire floor with sand on it.

Lots of branches to climb on, swinging ones and ropes, and they like a rotating machine to run in (like pet Hamsters.)

NESTING AND LIVING BOX:

Wooden box around 20 X 20 X 35cms high-top to be removable. At least one box per animal. Protect the entrance from driving rain.

Wooden tree trunks like for parakeets.

Wire box, the same size, but with wooden top (when they sit on it they urinate!)

Always make the bottom with wire for air-conditioning and to allow the urine and faeces to pass through it.

Two or three boxes per pair because they like to sleep together when it is cold but not when it is warm. Also when they have young the male can sleep in the second box.

The male can stay with the female when breeding.

GENERAL:

You can keep several pairs together in one big aviary.

They often have two litters of babies per year, 3-5 per litter.

You can take babies away at around five weeks of age for hand rearing.

They are mature at one year old so youngsters from the first litter often breed the next year.

Do not plant trees in the aviary because they destroy all the vegetation.

Drinking water in bottles like for Rabbits or small rodents.

The best bedding for the nest boxes is coconut fibre. (Not straw or hay because it gets very dirty)