What's Up With Bald Squirrels?

We’ve had quite a few people calling our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program to report that they’re seeing bald squirrels this spring. They want to know what's up? These are usually squirrels which are suffering from a condition called mange. This condition is caused by an external parasite, in this case, a type of mite. It can cause itching and hair loss on some or even most of the squirrel’s body.
The good news is that it is rarely fatal and if left alone, most all squirrels will recover from it. There is no effective treatment for a squirrel in the wild and capturing one of these squirrels will usually cause more harm than help. If the squirrel is healthy in every other way and has a cozy winter shelter to sleep in, even a hairless squirrel can survive our Ohio winters. If the animal becomes ill enough that it’s unable to run and can easily be captured, it can be brought in to us for treatment in captivity. -Dave Wolf, Director of Wildlife
(Photo credit: James Marvin Phelps, JMP Photography LLC, Michigan http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandj98/349107973/)