How often do proteins reproduce at home. Homemade squirrel: is it worth it to start. The creative role of man in life

Common squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) has recently been increasingly found in city parks, gardens, suburban forest belts, that is, not far from human dwellings, and therefore refers to synanthropic animals, that is, human companions. The common squirrel belongs to the most beautiful, graceful animals of the fauna of Ukraine. Her head is small, round, with a wide forehead, her ears are quite large, erect, with tassels of long hairs, especially expressive in winter. The body is elongated, more than 20 cm long, flexible. Hind tarsus well developed. The tail is fluffy, densely covered with hairs. The length of the tail is almost equal to the length of the body, paws are tenacious, with sharp bent claws on the fingers.

Among all forest animals, common squirrel is best suited for life on trees. She climbs well on tree trunks and can do long, long jumps. Quite often, in search of food, ordinary protein descends to the surface of the soil, but here it is not so agile and climbs onto a tree with the least danger.

Squirrel habitats

The color of the fur of a squirrel is changeable and depends on the habitat in Ukraine and especially on the season of the year. The upper body in the summer is intensely red-chestnut, with different reddish hues, in the winter - smoke-brownish or gray. The color of the Carpathian squirrels is dark brown, almost black. On the territory of Ukraine, ordinary squirrel is common in the old high-leaved broad-leaved and coniferous forests of Polesye, forest-steppe zone and mountainous regions of the Carpathians up to the subalpine zone. Common squirrel is absent only in the mountain forests of Crimea.

Protein Nutrition

Squirrels feed on a wide variety of feeds: hazel nuts, coniferous seeds, green bark and buds from shoots of broad-leaved trees, insects, bird eggs, and even chicks. A significant place in the diet of protein in the summer is occupied by berries and mushrooms. Interesting in the nutrition of the common protein is that it is very diligent
stores food for the winter - acorns, nuts, mushrooms, which are hidden in hollows, under fallen leaves or "canned" - hangs on tree knots. Sometimes in protein reserves there are up to three or more kilograms of selected nuts.

The common squirrel is a daytime animal. She is especially active in the morning. The presence of a squirrel can be easily recognized by those gnaws that it leaves in food places. In winter, you can see the characteristic traces of squirrels in the snow. The common squirrel leaves prints of all four legs: in front are longer, with heels close together - prints of the hind, behind shorter ones - with closed fingers - prints of the front legs. The direction of travel is determined by the position of the hind legs. During rapid running, the tracks are much more behind each other.

Reproduction of ordinary proteins

Squirrels usually arrange their nest in the hollow of trees, lining it with dry grass, leaves, moss. Where there are no hollows suitable for nests, they expertly interweaving dry twigs, moss, build a nest of a spherical shape, with a round inlet that is suspended between thick branches at the tops of low trees. Inside, it is lined with dry stalks of grass, feathers. In such a nest, twice a year: the first time - in April, the second - at the end of July or August, after a 35-day pregnancy, the females give birth to babies. In each offspring there are four to five ordinary proteins
  cubs. During the first days after birth, they are blind, naked and very helpless. They mature only at the age of five weeks, after which they grow rapidly, and after another two weeks they try to independently obtain food. They leave the nest at the age of two months, but after that they continue to feed on their mother’s milk for some time. Adults become at the fifth month of life. Ordinary squirrels do not lie in winter hibernation, but sleep in severe frosts and blizzards for several days without leaving their warm nest.

In the north of Russia, ordinary protein is of great importance as a commercial animal. By the number of industrial fur, they occupy one of the first places here. In Ukraine, through a sharp decrease in old hollow trees, the number of squirrels has recently decreased significantly, therefore, as a wonderful decoration of forests, parks and gardens, they are taken under protection.

In the video you can see how the common squirrel bites mushrooms in the autumn forest.

This nimble red-haired animal (known to zoologists under the specific name "ordinary squirrel") is so common in Russian open spaces that it fell on the arms of cities and villages. Two squirrels flaunt on the coat of arms of Zelenograd, one adorns the coat of arms of Yakutsk and a pair of squirrels is depicted on the coat of arms of the village of Yarensk (Arkhangelsk region), which until 1924 had the status of a city.

  Description of common squirrel

The rodent, a member of the family, is called Sciurus vulgaris in Latin and has another half-forgotten name - veksha. Of all the representatives of the genus protein (and this is 30 species living in Europe, Asia, South and North America), only one single species, the common protein, lives on the territory of Russia.

Appearance

This cute fast animal is similar to other types of squirrels. Veksha has a proportional slender body, which ends with an extremely fluffy, slightly flattened tail from 13 to 19 cm (about 2/3 of the body length). The tail looks flat due to long hairs (3–6 cm), spread out in both directions.

The common squirrel grows up to 19–28 cm, gaining a mass of about 250–340 in the adult state. The animal has a rounded head with dark bead eyes and long funny ears, crowned with protruding tassels (in winter they become more noticeable).

Vibrissas with special sensitivity adorn not only the muzzle, but also the front legs and abdomen. Squirrel belly, by the way, is always lighter than the top or painted white. The front legs are much shorter than the hind legs. The limbs are provided with sharp tenacious claws.

Important!  The size of the common squirrel decreases from the mountainous regions to the plain, the size of the skull also becomes smaller from south to north, and the color of the fur brightens towards the central point of the range.

To winter colds, squirrel ordinary grows a higher and more fluffy fur, but in summer it changes its structure, turning into a short, hard and rare one.

Coloring

By its variability of color, the vexa is the undisputed leader among the numerous fauna of the vast Palearctic region: it changes the color of the fur coat depending on the season, subspecies, and even being within the boundaries of its population.

In the summer, the squirrel outfit is designed in brown, red or dark brown tones, in the winter the coat turns gray, sometimes almost black (occasionally with a brown tint). Piebald penguins, whose coat is diluted with white spots, as well as specimens with completely black fur (melanists) and, conversely, with a complete absence of pigment (albinos), are also found among vexes.

For the Far Eastern, Carpathian and Manchu subspecies of the common squirrel, brown and black shades of winter wool are characteristic. And tele-squirrels (the largest representatives of the haul in the territory of the former USSR) in winter exhibit silver-gray and bluish coloration, as well as pale gray (mixed with black and yellow-rust) tail.

Protein teleuts belong to the so-called serotail proteins (which is determined by the winter color of the tail). Along with them, the vechs are divided into “shrewtail”, “redtail” and “blacktail”.

Molting

A change in the coat of the common squirrel happens, like in most animals, twice a year. The squirrel tail has its own frequency of hair renewal: it sheds only once a year. As a rule, spring molting occurs in April - May, and autumn molting takes place from September to November.

As you know, the molting of all mammals is controlled by the length of daylight that regulates the pituitary gland. The latter produces thyrotropin, which (in turn) acts on the activity of the thyroid gland, which starts shedding.

It is interesting!  Sexually mature males always begin to molt earlier than females and young juvenile yearlings born in the current year. Spring change of fur goes from the head to the base of the tail, and autumn - from the root of the tail to the head.

Shedding periods are very variable, as they depend on feed availability and climatic conditions. With an abundant feed base, the change of squirrel wool earlier begins and ends, in lean crops - it is not only delayed, but also stretched.

Lifestyle, character

This mobile rodent does not differ in territoriality; therefore, individual sections of squirrels are usually not only not expressed, but also often layered on top of each other.

Veksha leads an arboreal lifestyle, showing particular vigor in the morning and evening hours.. It was at this time that she scoured the forest in search of food, which takes 60–80% of her active time. Noticing the danger, he prefers to hide in the crown of a tree.

The squirrel easily flies from one tree to another, overcoming 3-4 m in a straight line and 10-15 m in a downward arc, using the tail as a rudder. In winter, so as not to freeze the paws, more rides on the tops. In the mating season, as well as in the absence of snow, it usually moves on the ground (in leaps up to 1 m).

In the most severe frosts and during the raging weather, she is able to sit in the shelter without a break, falling into a half-nap. Only a relentless feeling of hunger can make a veschu leave their shelter in winter.

Where does the squirrel live?

Whatever the squirrel house is, it will always be located on a tree. In a deciduous forest, a squirrel loves to settle in hollows, stuffing them with wood lichens, grass and dry leaves.

In the coniferous forest, it usually builds nests (25–30 cm in diameter), placing them at a height of 7–15 m among dense branches. Such a nest, called a guinea, gives the shape of a sphere to a ball, lining it inside with leaves, wool, moss and grass.

It is interesting!  In order not to bother with the construction of the nest, the squirrel occupies the birdhouse. The males do not bother to build their own nests, but develop in housing left by females or in empty nests of magpies, blackbirds and crows.

Information on large-scale migrations of squirrels can be found in the old Russian chronicles.

Migrations occur at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, and forest fires and drought often become an incentive, but more often a meager harvest of the main squirrel feeds, nuts or seeds of conifers.

Long and long migrations of 250–300 km rarely occur: as a rule, squirrels move to more modest distances to the neighboring forest.

During migration, rodents jump one at a time, but form a wide front (approximately 100–300 km), without straying into flocks and significant groups. Mass is observed only in front of natural obstacles..

During roaming, the protein crosses many natural zones and barriers, including:

• steppe;
• tundra and forest-tundra;
• islands;
• sea \u200b\u200bbays and rivers;
• mountain peaks;
• settlements.

Migrations are always accompanied by the death of squirrels that drown, freeze, die of exhaustion and fall into the teeth of predators.

Along with mass migrations, seasonal ones are observed, which are associated with the transition of young animals to independent life, as well as with stepwise maturation of feed. Seasonal migrations with a nodule are transformed into migration.

Young vesels are resettled in August / September and in October / November, when they move 70–350 km from their nests.

True, some of the mature squirrels remain in place. They only change the composition of the diet, switching to low-calorie vegetation with a high concentration of fiber:

• lichens;
• kidneys
• bark of young shoots;
• needles.

It is this group of rodents that becomes the basis for the restoration of the local protein population.

Life span

In nature, the ordinary squirrel measures a very short lifespan: an old person is considered older than 4 years. Such “centenarians” in the population make up no more than 10%. But in captivity (without enemies and with good nutrition), the veksha survives to 10-12 years.

  Habitat, habitat

The common squirrel (represented by 40 subspecies) has chosen the boreal zone of the Eurasian continent from the shores of the Atlantic to Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Fr. Hokkaido

The animal captivated Siberia, the Far East and the European part of Russia. The first proteins entered Kamchatka around 1923–24. Veksha even adapted to life in the Tien Shan, and in the Caucasus and in the Crimea, it settled in cultural landscapes (vineyards and orchards).

Squirrel, as a typical forest inhabitant, prefers mixed coniferous-deciduous forests with an abundant food supply (seeds of tree species).

In addition, the animal willingly settles in such stands as:

• cedar forests;
• thickets of cedar dwarf;
• spruce trees;
• larch trees;
• fir forests;
• mixed pine trees.

It was noted that the density of squirrel stock decreases to those northern regions where pine and larch woodlands predominate.

  Common Squirrel Nutrition

Gastronomic interests of veksh are extensive (over 130 items), but the main food is coniferous seeds, including ordinary pine, spruce, Siberian cedar, larch and fir. In the southern regions, where there are many oak forests (with thickets of hazel), he eagerly bites hazelnuts and acorns.

With a failure of the main feed, the protein passes to the buds and shoots of trees, rhizomes and tubers, lichens, berries, herbaceous plants and mushrooms (preferring deer truffle).

With a lack of feed, the protein turns into a pest, eating the flower buds of spruce. During love games, he often switches to animal food - insects with larvae, chicks, eggs and small vertebrates.

The squirrel is prudent and stocks up with nuts, acorns and cones for the winter, stuffing them with a hollow or burying between the roots. In addition, she dries the mushrooms, hanging them among the branches. Volsha has a short memory: she forgets about her storehouses and stumbles upon them by accident.

It is interesting!  Squirrel "sclerosis" is used by other forest inhabitants (bears, rodents and birds), eating its "canned food". However, the veksha pays them with the same coin, finding supplies made by mice, chipmunks and pine nuts under a 1.5 m layer of snow.

Coming out of the winter, the squirrel does not shun the bones of dead animals and visits the salt licks. The daily food norm varies depending on the season: in the spring, in the breeding season, the protein eats up to 80 g, in winter - no more than 35 g.

A spacious enclosure is a guarantor for the successful reproduction and breeding in captivity of proteins. You need to install it in the corner of the room opposite the window. A tall tree in a tub, best branched, along which rodents could run, should be placed inside the squirrel cage. On a blank wall, install a drawer with a rounded hole and a removable roof for the socket.

2 step

Next, provide a balanced diet of proteins. The diet of a small rodent should include a mixture of pine nuts, walnuts and hazelnuts, add a little peanuts to it. Pumpkin, sunflower, melon and watermelon should be included in protein nutrition. These elements must be unsalted and not fried. Give the nuts unpeeled squirrels, the walnut shell should be slightly broken. In the spring, do not forget to feed rodents with buds and shoots of deciduous trees. If possible, give rodents spruce, pine cones. Keeping the squirrel in captivity, add raw and boiled quail eggs, fish or beef bones, and flour worms to the main diet. It is necessary to carefully monitor the presence of clean water in the squirrel farm.

3 step

For mating, you should choose familiar and strong squirrels. It should be placed in a separate enclosure specially created for these purposes, to ensure her privacy and tranquility. The rutting period occurs in late February and early March. Squirrel pregnancy lasts about three weeks. In one litter there can be from a pair to 12 squirrels.

4 step

The squirrels are so small that you can only understand their birth by a squeak coming from the squirrel's dwelling. You should not once again disturb the female and constantly look into the house. During pregnancy, proteins should definitely include calcium-rich foods in its diet - cottage cheese and milk. Make sure that they are always fresh and do not forget to clean the remnants of food.

5 step

For feeding the younger generation, infant formula should be used. Six weeks later, when the squirrels will peek out through the hole in the house, you can start feeding them with your own hands. This is a painstaking task that requires patience, which will allow you to even tame the squirrels. However, do not stop feeding babies with milk up to eight weeks of age. Upon reaching two months, when the individuals have already become adults, following the instructions, it is necessary to transfer them to a real squirrel food.

The rapid multiplication of chipmunks leads to the fact that the population of red ordinary squirrel is gradually declining. Since the reproduction of proteins in captivity is a complex matter, and I just had such a case, I decided to trace and analyze, and most importantly try to reproduce the protein myself at home.

Two squirrels in the month of May fell out of the hollow. I picked them up, built a cage measuring 65x170x100 cm from medium-sized metal cells, the bottom of the cell - a thick hardboard, on which hay is laid. The cage turned out to be large and spacious. They easily jumped in it and did somersaults. In the cage I installed two houses, logs and various sticks in order to sharpen the claws. In the summer, she carried the cage into a room where almost alone glass was used, but without a draft, (in the winter, in a warmer room, but not in the heat). At that time, the squirrels were about two months old.

In June, I already determined that I had a boy and a girl. Food: carrots, dandelion leaves and unroasted seeds, drinking water from a drinking bowl - this is the first month. Further, I diversified their nutrition. These were: nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts), cedar fruits, acorns, various cones, dried porcini mushrooms, apples and pears, fortified sticks for rodents (not for predators) and other supplements with vitamins that can be bought in stores. This went on until October. Further, the boy distinctly began shouting to call for a squirrel.

And at the end of December, I noticed that the female squirrel began to eat unusually much, especially at that moment she liked pine nuts and limestone pebbles (top dressing). In late January, the female got better (rounded up).

In February, she began to arrange a nest. I was looking for a quiet secluded place, and, finding it below the house, she began to crush the grass. Then it brought more grass, thus, it formed something like a rookery. And so, on February 26, we had an event that I had been waiting for almost a year. My squirrel brought offspring. It was two boys and two girls. They lay completely naked near their mother and squeaked quietly (in fact, I guessed that the babies were born), because the place she chose was not visible to me. Starting from the second day, I was free to take the babies in my arms and put them back, as the female completely trusted me. I conducted inspection and measurements of weight, height, the presence of teeth, opening the eyes, etc.

This family has pleased me more than once. From my observations, I found out that if squirrels were born in winter (February), then they will have winter silver coat and ears with tassels. Belchata born in the summer (July) will acquire a red fur coat and there will be no tassels on their ears.

In total, my family of squirrels already had four healthy broods: always four in winter (two boys and two girls), in summer one boy and one girl. Characteristic stability has been outlined.

Conclusion: breeding common squirrels in captivity is possible. Necessary: \u200b\u200ba spacious room for them, adequate care and care, love and affection, proper nutrition, do not bother them much or disturb them. Thus, if you breed protein in captivity, then we can replenish their population in nature, and they, in turn, will increase the area of \u200b\u200bforests.