Culture method of snow squirrel

Snow squirrels are small mammals of the squirrel family, with dense and fluffy tail hair, long limbs and front and back feet, well-developed ear shells, eyes when folding forward, and coat color affected by seasons. Winter hair is gray or grayish brown, summer hair is black or dark brown, mainly distributed in Eurasia. Let's take a look at the breeding methods of snow squirrels.

The market price of snow squirrel

The prices of snow squirrels are different in different regions. At present, the sales price is about 1500 yuan, which is the most expensive compared to other kinds of squirrels. However, because the snow squirrels are handsome, healthy, gentle, lovely and clever, they are still loved by many people, and some families keep snow squirrels as pets. At the time of purchase, we still compare the goods, ask a few more to see what the price is, and then make a decision whether to buy it or not.

The living habits of snow squirrels

Snow squirrel is a typical arboreal rodent species, which lives in mountain coniferous forest and coniferous-broad-leaved mixed forest. The nests are round, with exits on the leeward side, but some also live in tree grottoes, and some are made of old large bird nests to be repaired. Squirrels can make several nests every year, which can be divided into main nests and secondary nests, which are used for temporary rest, but rarely build nests and mostly make use of old nests. Daytime activities, the most lively in the morning, not hibernating, but less winter activities, cold winter, rarely out of the nest activities. Mainly plant food, but also eat insects and their larvae, ant eggs, bird eggs and other animals, but the main food is the seeds of coniferous forests such as larch, eat a variety of berries and mushrooms in summer, and eat tree buds when food is scarce.

The main species of snow squirrel

1. North China subspecies: the back of the winter body is pure dark gray, the back, limbs and tail of the summer body are black, and there are red hairs mixed with the base of the tail in the north. The length of the skull is 52.7 to 53.8 mm. Distributed in Hebei, northeast of Beijing, Shanxi, Henan.

2. Brown and black subspecies: the back of the winter body is dark gray with fine grayish brown ripples, and the hair is not fluffy. The back of summer body is black or dark brown. The tail is less red. The length of the skull is 52.0mm to 55.8mm. It is also distributed in Hebei and Inner Mongolia, and abroad in the former Soviet Union and Mongolia.

3. Northeast subspecies: the back of the winter body is significantly gray, with small dark ripples, rarely dark brown to dark brown. There is a small amount of red hair on the tail. The length of the skull is 53.0 to 57.0 mm. It is distributed in Xinganling and Heilongjiang in China and Ursuli in the former Soviet Union abroad.

4. Altai subspecies: the coat color changes greatly in winter, the coat color is dark, most of them are dark rat gray, and the tail is black and sometimes light brown. In summer, black and dark brown individuals are dominant, and the tail is usually reddish brown. The body is small, with a skull length of 49.0 to 53.1 mm. Distributed in the Altai Mountains and Mongolia Altai Mountains, as well as the Altai Mountains of the former Soviet Union.

5. Obi subspecies: dense and thick hair. The winter hair is light yellowish gray with gray ripples, and the tail is usually light gray mixed with varying degrees of black and yellow red hairs. Summer hair is light, usually brownish yellow and red. The individual is larger, with a skull length of 54.6 to 59.2 mm. Distributed in Tianshan in the north and Novosibirsk in the former Soviet Union.

Breeding methods of snow squirrels

1. Methods of reproduction: squirrels can reach sexual maturity and begin to breed at the age of 9 to 10 months. The peak season of estrus is from January to February and April to May every year, and the conception rate is higher at this time. The gestation period of female rats is about 38 days. Pregnant female rats can be moved into the litter box 1-2 weeks before delivery. Males and females must be separated from cages, large amounts of water and food must be placed, and breadworms must be thrown in if necessary. the offspring begin to eat feed 1 ~ 4 weeks after birth, and can be fed with some fresh fruit and high-quality concentrate fodder. They can be weaned at the age of 5 weeks and raised in separate cages.

2. Food feeding: squirrels seem to feed on the seeds of Fagaceae plants, but they also eat a considerable number of insects in nature, so it is best to feed some animal food. Nuts such as walnuts and chestnuts are favorites of squirrels. Biting open the hard shell is not only a game for squirrels, but also helps to wear out their teeth. It is best to feed this kind of food regularly. If artificial feed is used as the staple food, apples and other foods should be added.

3, feeding cage: squirrels are very lively, especially like to climb trees, the activity space is more three-dimensional, should try to choose a wide and high cage. As squirrels are used to nesting in trees, the nest box should be installed at the top of the cage. The nest box can be replaced by a nest box that is used by birds and whose entrances and exits are high. The squirrel moves very quickly, so be careful when opening and closing the door to avoid escaping. In case of escape, if you suddenly grasp it hard, avoid being bitten by a squirrel.

4. Dietary taboos: squirrels are not suitable to eat meat and eggs, which have a great impact on the gastrointestinal and digestive system. Vegetables that should not be eaten raw: carrots, potatoes, beans, ginger, onions, garlic, chili, etc. Fruits and vegetables that should not be eaten: cabbage, rape, lettuce, lettuce, lotus root, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, banana, orange, watermelon, pear and so on. Do not eat pickled dried fruits, preserved fruits, immature or processed nuts, which are not easy to digest. Drinks, especially carbonated drinks. Tea (it has been reported that squirrels died from eating tea) cat and dog pet food (because it contains meat). Apple seeds and cherries (poisonous to squirrels). It is not suitable to eat insects. Although insects are nutritious, eating them will increase the wildness of squirrels. Do not eat foods with chocolate and caffeine, which can excite squirrels, either physically or emotionally, and can seriously lead to heart rate death or heart failure.

6. Daily management: remove feces, always keep the cage clean and hygienic. In order to clean the fur and benefit the health of squirrels, clean up before feeding every morning. The breeding utensils should be disinfected regularly and take a sand bath at least once a week. It is appropriate to hold 4 liters of sand in the sand bath box. Put fine sand in the box for 20 minutes and 30 minutes each time to enhance your health. Some thin sticks can also be put into the cage to grind the squirrels' teeth.