So I'm messing around in the backyard pulling weeds and planting some stuff. Hubby says there must be a snake around because the birds are really making alot of noise. And if there's one thing I don't doubt about him is his knowledge of wildlife. So... I go about my business... and I hear some racket in the trees. Birds screeching. Squirrel screaming. And there it was. This snake and it just grabbed something. I figured it was the squirrel. Hubby runs to the garage and grabs the hoe and machete thinking the snake had fallen out of the tree. But it was still hanging there. I was told to hurry and get the pellet pistol and I did... one shot and the snake hits the ground and what did it have in it's grasp? A little baby squirrel. Baby squirrel laying there. Hubby gives it CPR by blowing air into it's face. It finally wiggles. Baby squirrel is so young it's eyes aren't even open. ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Even if it was returned to it's nest, the momma probably would have rejected it because of the scents. So... baby squirrel is now tucked away in a bucket (with some rags) atop a heating pad. Hubby got it to drink about half an eye dropper of canned milk/egg yoke. He's raised/saved several squirrels. Now.. since Sassy Marie (the dog) loves to chase/catch squirrels... this is going to be tricky. So the bucket will go in the bathroom if/when Sassy Marie comes inside. And when the squirrel is old enough to fend for itself it will be set free. Update: squirrel just drank the other half of milk mixture. And oh yeah... I saw a hummingbird today! That's about all the "wild" I can handle in one day. :-D
My, that's one long snake. *shudder* I'm not partial to snakes, but I do love squirrels. I hope you manage to save it. Good luck.
Thank goodness your husband noticed the snake in time to save the baby squirrel. I hope it survives and is released into the wild when it's ready. I have a snake (Western Hognose Python) in a vivarium upstairs but it only eats defrosted rats which I get from a pet shop.
I hate snakes. A couple of years ago I got bit by a baby copperhead. It did not have enough venom to hurt me, but I almost had a heart attack. This happened right off my deck. And sure enough hubby found a nest of 6 or 8 under a landscape block 2 foot from the deck. Momma was not far away.
Thank goodness there are no poisonous snakes around here! Wow, quite a story! I always thought that wild animals rejected their babies if they smelled like humans, but I found that to be untrue when I saved some baby Robins outside my kitchen window. The wind had blown the nest down and I fixed the nest an replaced the babies. Mama came back immediately and raised them until they fledged.
Droopy... baby squirrel made it through the night and ate a good breakfast.So I think he'll make it. Eileen... my ex-hubby used to have a Bullnose Python. It was a very timid snake too. Donna... I don't particularly like snakes either. I leave them alone as long as they leave me alone. Netty... That was great about the Robins' mommy not abandoning them. We couldn't even spot the squirrels nest... besides I think Hubby would have kept it anyway, he's been talking alot about raising another squirre lately. Cayuga... Hubby typically knows his snakes, but he didn't know what this one was. His guess was some sort of Boa... which we don't usually have around here. He said it was probably a pet that got turned loose because it got so big.
I don't know what to say except OMG!! That is sooooo cool that he saved the squirrel!! Please keep us posted on his progress!! :-D
Cherylad - I am so impressed, if my husband told me a snake was around...I would be inside for a day! To say I have a "phobia" of snakes is an understatement! Good luck with the baby squirrel. I had a friend growing up that found a baby squirrel. They were not ever able to reintroduce it to the wild, but it became a wonderful pet for their family! Donna - I am so glad your snake bite wasn't worse. I lived in Virginia for 7 years and we had problems with Copperheads every Spring. (This did not help my phobia!) :-?
Give your husband a thumbs up for me. Bad snake! Poor little baby squirrel! Now you'll have a squirrel pal for life.
He's always rescuing some critter. Just last year he revived a hummingbird that had been trapped in my brother's building. Then there was the lizard that had fallen in a bucket of water. We have lots of "friends" around the house. :-D
Cherylad so glad your hubby killed that snake and rescued that cute baby squirrel. Way to go hubby. Boy I hate to think of people just letting foreign snakes go when they get to big or they no longer want them. In Florida they are sure waging war with Pythons that are so dangerous and killing off native species. Plus a danger to your pets and people. When I was about 12yrs old I found a baby squirrel that didn't have any hair on it laying on the ground next to a tree. I was always hauling home critters. So we raised it until it got destructive being in the house and would try and bite you if you tried to catch it and put it back in it's cage. We gave it to the local high schools nature center and it lived out its years there. I do not think they could let the squirrel go either because it was so use to humans someone might kill it not knowing that.
I am just hoping it was indeed either a poisonous snake or an imported snake and not just a local snake being a snake.
What an exciting story. I'll bet that you have fun with that little cridder. Just remember to clip his nails when he gets older. hahaha Good luck with that lil guy.
Tooty... hopefully this one will adapt to being back in the wild easily. AND hope Sassy Marie doesn't try to catch it one day. Cayuga... good snake, bad snake, local snake... it was going to be killed either way. Sjoerd... Guess I need to put some nail clippers on my shopping list?
