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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Smoothie, The Naked Telly Savalas of Squirrels

It's not just your husband who has to worry about going bald, it seems your local squirrel population may be suffering from the same malady.  Bald you say?  Squirrels?  I've never seen a bald squirrel!  Squirrels suffer from baldness just like humans do, though perhaps not for the same reasons. 

Most often when you come across a squirrel who resembles Telly Savalas it's because he is suffering from something called 'mange.'  Sounds gross! But its an illness that is caused by mites.  I'm not sure what's worse, knowing the local squirrel population is infested with mites or seeing their oddly bald heads stealing feed from my bird feeder!

But a completely bald squirrel (or a naked Telly Savalas squirrel) has come to the attention of vets in St. Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Aylesbury.  The squirrel, who is completely bald except for a few hairs on his tail has lost all his fur--that is so--YUCK!

They haven't figured out how or why he lost his fur but they're keeping his warm and dry and on a diet of pecans--the lucky critter! I love pecans! But I guess I'd rather keep my hair and do without a steady pecan diet!  Smoothie isn't suffering from 'mange' so vets are still puzzled over the reason for his sleek hairless body. 

Photos of the squirrel, who has been nicknamed "Smoothie" can be found in the January 7, 2012 Mail Online.

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