HuangshanSquirrel, as the name suggests, is a mouse species from Huangshan Mountain, Anhui. This squirrel likes to live in the woods, and they are relatively ordinary but not refined. The Yellow Mountain Squirrel is very agile and alert, with a brisk body and brisk limbs. The head of the Huangshan squirrel was mainly distributed in Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei and other places.

Chinese name: Huangshan squirrel

Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodent

Family: Squiridae

Subfamily: Squiridae

Genus: Squirrel

Distribution area: Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei

Huangshan in adulthoodSquirrelThe ideal body length should be between 190mm-250mm, many pine trees are the same, the tail is relatively large, and its length is equal to or slightly longer than the body length. Huangshan squirrels have the same color and luster on the abdomen, but the rear edge is black and yellow. The cheeks and muzzle are pale greyish-yellow. The inside of the limbs are ochre.

The forefoot of Huangshan squirrel is bare, with 4 finger pads and 2 palm pads; the big toe degenerates into a wrinkled skin fold. The back palm is bare, with 5 toe pads and 2 palm pads. The back of the body is olive-yellow; the base of the hair is gray-black, and the ends of the hair are black-yellow or all black; therefore, small black-yellow spots can be seen. Abdominal hair brownish gray or brownish yellow; hair base dark gray, hair tip light brown. The back of the tail hair and the back of the body

The cranial top of the skull is enlarged, the muzzle is narrow and the zygomatic arch is straight. The interorbital space is wide, and its width is greater than the length of the nasal bone; the base of the supraorbital process and the orbital rim are elevated; the auditory bulb is protruding, but not large. There are 3 protrusions behind the center of the occipital bone. Herringbone ridges are prominent. The incisors are flat and narrow. The first upper premolars are small cylindrical, significantly smaller than the other teeth; the molars are low-crowned teeth, with a humeral process on the chewing surface, but no central column.

The active HuangshanSquirrel, especially likes to climb trees and like to bite, so families need to prepare a solid wire cage for this squirrel. It is recommended not to use bamboo and wood structure cages, which are easily damaged by squirrels. So what else do you need to prepare besides these? What are the requirements of squirrels under artificial breeding conditions?

The house should be dry, warm in winter and cool in summer, and the suitable temperature for growth and reproduction should be kept at 10 ℃~30℃, the most suitable feeding temperature is about 15℃, and the relative humidity should be kept at 40%~50%. Since squirrels cannot withstand high temperature, they can die from heat stroke when the temperature is 35°C. Therefore, in the high temperature season in summer, attention should be paid to the ventilation and shade of the cage. Maintain a proper temperature and prevent cold wind from attacking in autumn, so as to avoid rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, squirrels do not need too strong light. If they receive too strong light, their coats are often disheveled and tarnished.

Remove feces, keep the cage clean and hygienic, and clean the fur and health of the squirrels every morning before feeding. Feeding utensils should be disinfected regularly, and sand baths should be carried out at least once a week. The sand bath box should be suitable for 4 liters of sand, and fine sand should be placed in the box. Sand bathing for 20 to 30 minutes each time can enhance health. You can also put some thin wooden sticks in the cage for squirrels to grind their teeth.

Squirrel can be artificially reared by feeding wire cages, with channels in the cages, which is conducive to breeding and feeding management. For example, cages made of bamboo and wood are easily damaged by squirrels. The breeding house should be dry, warm in winter and cool in summer. The suitable temperature for growth and reproduction should be kept at 10℃~30℃, the most suitable breeding temperature is about 15℃, and the relative humidity should be maintained at 40%~50%. Since squirrels cannot withstand high temperature, they can die from heat stroke when the temperature is 35°C. Therefore, in the high temperature season in summer, attention should be paid to the ventilation and shade of the cage. Maintain a proper temperature and prevent cold wind from attacking in autumn, so as to avoid rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, squirrels do not need too strong light. If they receive too strong light, their coats are often disheveled and tarnished. The feed for artificially rearing squirrels is divided into two categories: green feed and concentrated feed. Green fodder mainly includes: carrots, water spinach, all kinds of fresh fruits and other fresh vegetables. Concentrated feed includes: wheat bran, cornmeal, soybean meal, grain, etc., plus a small amount of salt, yeast powder, bone meal, honey and trace elements. It can be made into pellet dry feed.

Daily Management

Remove feces, keep the cages clean and hygienic, and clean the fur and health of the squirrels every morning before feeding. Feeding utensils should be disinfected regularly, and sand baths should be carried out at least once a week. The sand bath box should be suitable for 4 liters of sand, and fine sand should be placed in the box. Sand bathing for 20 to 30 minutes each time can enhance health. You can also put some thin wooden sticks in the cage for squirrels to grind their teeth.

Reproduction of squirrels

Squirrels generally reach sexual maturity at the age of 9 to 10 months and can start breeding. From January to February every year, April to May is the peak estrus season, when the conception rate is higher. The gestation period of female mice is about 38 days. Pregnant female mice can be moved into the farrowing crate 1 to 2 weeks before the expected birth. Males and females must be separated into cages, a large amount of water and food must be placed, and mealworms must be thrown in if necessary. The pups start to eat feed from 1 to 1 week after birth, and can be fed some fresh fruits and high-quality concentrated feed. At 5 weeks old, they can be weaned. Cage rearing.

Feeding method

1. Food

Feed

Pine nuts, hazelnuts, melon seeds, sunflowers can be fed , pears, apples, etc., according to the season and different regions, provide as many feeds as possible for them to choose. The feed can be divided into several places to prevent them from competing,

Squirrels seem to feed on the seeds of Fagaceae plants, but also eat quite a lot of insects in nature, so it is best to also eat Feed some animal food. Nuts such as walnuts and chestnuts are the favorites of squirrels. Biting through the hard shell is not only a game for squirrels, but also helps to wear their teeth. It is best to feed these foods regularly. If artificial feed is the staple food, apples and other foods should also be supplemented.

2. Breeding cages

Squirrels are very lively, especially like to climb trees. Since squirrels are accustomed to nesting in trees, the nest box should be installed high in the cage. The nest box can be replaced by a nest box with a high entrance and exit for small birds. Squirrels move very quickly, so be careful when opening and closing doors to avoid escaping. In case of escape, if you grab it suddenly, avoid being bitten by a squirrel.

3. Others

April to May is the breeding season for chipmunk and Hokkaido squirrel, each time can produce 4-5 small squirrels. Reproduction is similar to that of mice. When the squirrel's eyes are about to open, it will be kept away from the mother squirrel, and it will become intimate with people, and it will climb on the shoulders and heads without caring. Warm milk (30-40°C) is initially fed through a straw, 3-5 times a day. Gradually switch to bread or other soft foods soaked in milk. Even if you start feeding them after they are grown up, as long as you train them slowly and patiently, they will become very close to people and climb up to their owners.

Diet taboos

It is not advisable to eat meat and eggs, which have a great impact on the gastrointestinal digestive system. Vegetables that should not be eaten raw: carrots, potatoes, beans, ginger, onion, garlic, peppers, etc. Fruits and vegetables that should not be eaten: cabbage, rape, lettuce, lettuce, lotus root, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, banana, orange, watermelon, pear, etc. It is not advisable to eat pickled dried fruits, preserved fruits, immature or processed nuts, which are not easy to digest. Beverages, especially carbonated beverages. Tea (it has been reported that squirrels died from eating tea) cat and dog pet food (because with meat). Apple seeds and cherry pits (toxic to squirrels). Insects should not be eaten, although insects are nutritious and will increase the wildness of squirrels when eaten. It is not advisable to eat food with chocolate and caffeine. These two things can make squirrels too excited, which are not good for the squirrel's body or mood. Seriously, it will lead to death from excessive heart rate or death from heart failure.