Nearly two dozen newborn gray squirrels are healing at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples after being found dazed on the ground and between bushes throughout Naples in recent days.
If their little claw fingers worked yet, they might all be pointing at the tree-trimming crews.
"If you do your own lawn care and tree trimming, be sure to check trees for squirrel nests before doing any landscaping," said Lauren Barkley, coordinator of the animal hospital. "It's baby squirrel season right now. Please be mindful when trimming trees and tending to your garden."
Gray squirrels, fixtures in Southwest Florida, raise a litter of "kits" or "pups" once in the early spring and again later in the summer to take advantage of the warm weather when nuts and berries are abundant.
That's a reason why adult squirrels climb up and down trees so often in the summer, their cheek pouches bulging with food for the babies in the "dray" tucked into a hole in the tree or nestled tight between branches.
The little squirrels are being injured by tree trimming tools used by people who are unaware that there are still animal nests up there filled with babies past springtime. Afternoon thunderstorms and tropical systems can also blow a baby squirrel right out of the drey.
Once knocked to the ground, either way, the weeks-old squirrels are extremely vulnerable to predators.
"Be aware that there may be young squirrels around the area or ground, especially after a storm," Barkley said. "Check your yard and fallen vegetation after a storm for nestling squirrels that may have been displaced."
Not just a tall 'tail'
Falls from nests could easily prove deadly for baby squirrels without human help and a stay at the wildlife hospital.
But soon such a fall will be a part of their everyday life. Perhaps part of the fun, even.
Adult gray squirrels are, as might be expected, far more agile and hardy than their young.
If an adult squirrel falls -- or jumps -- from a tree, it can use its bushy tail as a parachute to slow its descent because the fluffiness creates drag and the squirrel lands more softly.
On the ground, the animals can flat-out move -- running at 20 mph or faster.
Squirrels have sharp, curved claws to dig into bark allowing them to zip up trees at 12 mph, then they can leap 20 feet from branch to branch. On their way down a tree, the animals can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees, which allows them to climb down trees headfirst.
But it's really all about the tail.
The gray squirrel's bushy end is so crucial to its agility that it adds up to one-third of the animal's length but comprises only three percent of the animal's body mass. The shape, size, and design of an adult gray squirrel's tail allows it to display all sorts of antics.
The long tail acts as a counterbalance as a squirrel leaps through the air and then, like a rudder, steers and adjusts the animal's trajectory in mid-air while vaulting from branch to branch.
When walking a narrow branch or thin power line, squirrels use their tail for balance — just like a tightrope walker uses a really long balance pole.
And while not related to their tail, gray squirrels can be right-handed or left-handed, a rather rare trait in the animal kingdom.
Helping hands
If you find an injured baby squirrel on the ground, wrap it in a soft cloth and place it in a safe and ventilated container, such as a small cat carrier with air holes but not ones big enough for the squirrels to escape. Don't feed it or give it water, just let the animal rest in a warm, dark, and quiet place.
If found in the Naples area, bring the animal to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples, FL 34102.
If a sick or injured squirrel or any other wild animal needs help in Lee County, it can be brought to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife at 3883 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel, 33957, or to one of a number of affiliated veterinary practices around the county..
In Charlotte County, sick or injured wildlife can be brought to the Peace River Wildlife Center, 3400 Ponce de Leon Parkway, Punta Gorda, FL 33950.
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