[AnnieW]

I'm assuming that this is a heavily pregnant female rather than an X-Men type mutant .... so question; how far off giving birth is she likely to be and how many squirrel-lets can I aspect to be running rampage through the garden and loft ??

Annie

[pduxon]

oh bless, (I know the Greys have caused havoc with the reds but I'm a sucker for a bushy tail)

[desgreene]

Don't go near it Annie it may be about to explode!

Des.

[AnnieW]

"oh bless, (I know the Greys have caused havoc with the reds but I'm a sucker for a bushy tail)"

I know - despite everything, we've been feeling quite protective towards `mumsy'. We've had hearts in mouths quite a few times as she still insists on hanging upside by her toes and hurling herself from branch to branch .... which I'm sure is not really an appropriate way for a squirrel in her condition to behave !!

[GR Triever]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfact...iles/190.shtml

Greys usually have about 3 young'uns at a time, according to this link. The part I found interesting was that the grey was introduced from the USA to the UK in the late 19th/early 20th Century. You think maybe it was payback for those "darling" European Starlings we got from ya'll?


GR

[AnnieW]

Thanks GR - I'd googled with little success !!

[AnnieW]

I'm sure this is no way for an expectant mother to behave.

Can any squirrel experts out there give me a clue as to how long she has left to go before `her confinement' ... I know I'm a sucker but I can't bring myself to chase her off the feeder while she looks like this !!

[gthang]

Don't count on the "mummy" staying away from the bird feeders for weeks to come...

We have four gray squirrels at times in our backyard. So far, I have only see one red squirrel at many times throughout the month. And maybe a couple of chipmunks thrown in there for good measure, as well as a coupla deer going through every now and then. Oh, don't forget the birds too.

[KooKoo]

Hi Annie,
I know it's been a while since you posted ... but did your mama have her babies? and is she bringing them around yet?

[AnnieW]

Originally Posted by KooKoo

Hi Annie,
I know it's been a while since you posted ... but did your mama have her babies? and is she bringing them around yet?

Hi KooKoo -

The expectant mother was last seen a week ago, swinging upside down from a tree in what looked like a an attempt to induce labour !! We've not seen her since then, so assume she is off giving birth somewhere as she looked very heavily pregnant.

I'll post something if/when she turns up with children in tow !!

[Rasmus Boegh]

I really do hope it's pregnant. Why? Well, it looks more sick than pregnant to me. Several years ago I had the pleasure (pleasure - sometimes more than others!) of following a vet around regularly after school. A squirrel looking just like the one on you pic were brought in, and sadly it was filled with blisters etc. So, it had to put to sleep. The person who brought it in, was astonished, as this regular visitor to his garden had been very active just a day or two before (behaving like a normal squirrel, until a day before he brought it in). As far as I was told, that was common. It was virtually impossible to see the squirrel was sick by it's behavior (though the massive belly was a clear clue), until it was "half-past-dead". The (admittedly rather few) pregnant squirrels I have seen, were now-where near as "hulk" as the one on the photo.

Having said this... I truely do hope your "garden squerrel" is a mom now!

[AnnieW]

[quote=Rasmus Boegh]I really do hope it's pregnant. Why? Well, it looks more sick than pregnant to me ....... QUOTE]

I fear now that Rasmus' observation above may well be true. After not seeing the `big grey' for some 3 weeks now, he/she turned up yesterday looking like below ....

Pictures aren't brilliant (taking at dusk through torrential rain) but I guess it's fairly obvious that things aren't right. Having said that apart from the huge size being something of a handicap, there didn't appear to be anything different in the animal's behaviour. It was shinning up and down trees and still jumping from branch to branch and appeared to have a healthy appetite.

Rather sad really .... they may be vermin, but we'd grown rather fond of `fatty'