Today’s article is going to be a little different. Normally I’d talk about some kind of pest that needs removal, but this time I’m actually going to clear the air. Well, I’m going to talk a little about my hobby and then clear the air. You see, I greatly enjoy feeding wild Tampa squirrels. But, one thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of them are missing hair. Sometimes I even see hairless squirrels. But are these guys a danger? Can my dog catch a disease from them? That’s what we’ll be discussing today.
Hairless Squirrels: Can they give my pets mange?
I know it’s easy to be taken aback by the sight of squirrels with missing hair. But, down here in the south the sight of hairless squirrels isn’t actually all that unusual. And, rightly so, the first thing people think about is mange. The second thing is usually whether or not the squirrels can transfer mange to their furred pets. Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Squirrels only attract a specific species of mange mites, and they’re very host specific. Transmission of this kind of mange to species other than squirrels have never been documented, including to cats and dogs.
Symptoms of notoedric mange in squirrels include loss of hair and dry, thickened and dark skin. Crust does not form on the skin in notoedric mange in squirrels as it does in sarcoptic mange in red fox. Mange is most commonly spread by a direct animal to animal contact. Treatment of adult squirrels with mange is generally not recommended because reinfection from their nest is likely. An adult squirrel can survive mange if in otherwise good condition. Most of the time, especially down south, mange is no real problem to the squirrels. It doesn’t really get cold enough to be an issue. So the next time you see a hairless squirrel, you don’t have to really worry.
Should I have hairless squirrels removed?
In all honesty, unless the squirrels are somehow in your home, there’s no real reason to call a specialist to remove them. Squirrels are a vital part of the ecosystem, as both a prey item and a tree planter. Next time you see a squirrel missing hair, just remember that it’s no real threat to itself or other squirrels.
