Pair of Male Micro Squirrels

Must be adopted in same-sex groups of 2 or more. Adoption fee is $50 per pair.<br/><br/>TEXT to Adopt 239-810-0899<br/><br/>- Housing -<br/><br/>Enclosure: Micro squirrels require a large enclosure with ample space to climb and roam both horizontally as well as vertically. One of the best enclosures you can use for a pair up to a small colony of micro squirrels is an 18-inch X 32-inch by 18-inch front-opening 40-gallon reptile tank. These tanks allow for a layer of bedding several inches deep which the micro squirrels require for them to burrow through and nest in. This size tank also allows ample room to accommodate not just a small colony of micro squirrels but for several hides, a wheel, a food dish, a water bottle, and plenty of climbing apparatus such as bird toys hung from the top of the tank, cork bark tubes, paper towel tubes and so on. African dormice are also very sensitive to light, so keep their enclosure away from bright lights and windows.<br/><br/>Wheel(s): It is important when selecting a wheel for your micro squirrels that you are purchasing a solid wheel with no slits or holes where their little toes can get caught, any such wheels including wire wheels aren’t safe.  There is also a distinction between wheels and the angled “saucer” shaped spinning plates commonly called “Free runners”. Solid Free runners can be offered alongside the solid wheel however they are not a replacement for wheels. <br/><br/>Dishes: Two food dishes and a water bottle are a must.  Yes, you heard that right, 2 dishes and I will explain why when we cover their diet below. <br/><br/>Substrate: Line your chosen enclosure with a few inches of bedding, such as a recycled paper product or aspen shavings. Avoid pine and cedar bedding, as these materials can irritate a rodent's respiratory system. Remove spots of soiled bedding daily, and plan to remove and replace all the bedding—as well as clean all the surfaces in the enclosure with mild soap and water—roughly every week.<br/><br/>Temperature: Micro Squirrels should be kept between 68 and 75° F at all times as they will get torpid and try to hibernate if their temperatures drop below 65°F. Personally, I keep my colony between 68 and 71°F never any colder.  Because of this depending on the time of year, where you are from and how warm you keep your home it may be beneficial to add a ceramic heat emitter or 2 connected to a thermostat above the enclosure with the thermostat set within the required range this will allow them to turn on and heat only the tank to the necessary temperature and stay on only as needed to maintain it. Should your micro squirrels begin to get torpid you must warm them up IMMEDIATELY! As in captivity, they will likely die if they go into hibernation! <br/><br/><br/>- Diet/Food -<br/><br/>The staple diet for your micro squirrels should be an insectivore-based kibble mixed in a 1-part kibble to 2 part seeds mix. <br/><br/>Kibble: Some insectivore kibbles I have used with my micro squirrels and can recommend are  Exotic Nutrition Insectivore kibble “berries & bugs” and  Hedgehog Precision Standard formula kibble. There are several other kibbles on the market sold specifically for sugar gliders that can also be used to help give a variety such as BML Sugar Glider Kibble. <br/><br/>Seed Mixture: Your Dormice need a basic seed mix that can comprise of items such as hemp, millet, linseed, macademias, maize, nygerseed, pinhead oatmeal, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, safflower, sunflower seeds together with a basic finch/parrot seed base. Fennel seed can be added to reduce the smell of urine and Millet sprays can be hung from your enclosure and bought in most pet shops. Since African Pygmy Dormouse cannot digest plant cellulose, the material of plant cell walls, fibre such as wood, plant leaves and stalks they will ignore the majority of a hamster or mouse mix.<br/><br/>Nectar: In addition to their staple which they should have access to at all times, micro squirrels also require a nectar and or sap substitute. Some use organic 100% pure maple syrup with no added sugar or other additives diluted in water until runny. You can offer this diluted through your water bottle or poured across their normal food. I have found Exotic Nutrition Gliderade which is specifically a nectar substitute for sugar gliders and other nectarvores to be the best sap and nectar substitute. In addition to these, you can also mix up their diet a bit by alternating between the Gliderade and an HPW diet such as Instant HPW from exotic nutrition or High Protein Wombaroo diet which is effectively the same thing as the instant HPW however, it is the original that coined the abbreviation “HPW” diet and is primarily only available for the Australian market unless you can find it imported in the US which of course would come with a higher price tag, for that reason I recommend sticking with alternating between the Instant HPW and Gliderade both from Exotic Nutrition as they are easily obtained at a fraction of the cost. <br/><br/>Insects: Micro squirrels should also be offered live feeder insects such as mealworms or black soldier fly larvae at least 3 times a week alongside their staple. Crickets in particular provide good enrichment and exercise for African Pygmy Dormice as well as being very entertaining to watch.<br/><br/>Fresh Fruit: Fresh fruit should be supplied most days. Citrus fruits are not approved of, but the following are: apples, bananas, blueberries, cherries, mango, melon, papaya, pear, persimmon, physalis, sharon fruit, tomato. Dried fruit is often ignored so is fresh fruit is best.<br/><br/>Protein “Treats”: Cheese, boiled or scrambled eggs, small amounts of boiled chicken, salmon, tuna (in spring water preferred), crayfish or prawns.<br/><br/><br/>- Specialized Care -<br/><br/>Micro squirrels are highly social animals that require to be kept at minimum in pairs and so you cannot have just 1 micro squirrel. Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to micro squirrels is if scared or stressed enough, they can drop that signature fluffy tail of theirs similar to a gecko however, unlike a gecko, they will not grow a new tail. <br/><br/>- Taming -<br/><br/>Micro squirrels are generally very skittish animals on top of being nocturnal and will often run and hide before you even open their enclosure unless you purchased a hand-tamed baby that’s already been worked with from early on. Taming micro squirrels is a long and slow process of building trust but it can be done. Some things that can help are incentivizing interaction with treats that are offered by hand. Using a no-pill fleece bonding pouch like those sold for sugar gliders to keep them with you while they sleep, and you are relaxing at home can also help as they are nocturnal animals and will spend most of the day sleeping. Lastly, the trick that I’ve found to work the best for me is wearing an old shirt to sleep for 2 nights in a row and then putting the shirt in their enclosure, this gets them used to your sent and can help tremendously with taming. <br/><br/>One of the greatest threats to a captive dormouse's health is injury. Because they are quick, agile animals, they easily can escape a person handling them. This can lead to a damaging fall, the potential of being stepped on, and more. If you handle your pet, do so while sitting on the floor in a room with the door closed. This way, if your dormouse accidentally escapes your hands, you should be able to collect it again without injury.<br/><br/>Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1ZtUrAcYSs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Must be adopted in same-sex groups of 2 or more. Adoption fee is $50 per pair.

TEXT to Adopt 239-810-0899

- Housing -

Enclosure: Micro squirrels require a large enclosure with ample space to climb and roam both horizontally as well as vertically. One of the best enclosures you can use for a pair up to a small colony of micro squirrels is an 18-inch X 32-inch by 18-inch front-opening 40-gallon reptile tank. These tanks allow for a layer of bedding several inches deep which the micro squirrels require for them to burrow through and nest in. This size tank also allows ample room to accommodate not just a small colony of micro squirrels but for several hides, a wheel, a food dish, a water bottle, and plenty of climbing apparatus such as bird toys hung from the top of the tank, cork bark tubes, paper towel tubes and so on. African dormice are also very sensitive to light, so keep their enclosure away from bright lights and windows.

Wheel(s): It is important when selecting a wheel for your micr

Must be adopted in same-sex groups of 2 or more. Adoption fee is $50 per pair.

TEXT to Adopt 239-810-0899

- Housing -

Enclosure: Micro squirrels require a large enclosure with ample space to climb and roam both horizontally as well as vertically. One of the best enclosures you can use for a pair up to a small colony of micro squirrels is an 18-inch X 32-inch by 18-inch front-opening 40-gallon reptile tank. These tanks allow for a layer of bedding several inches deep which the micro squirrels require for them to burrow through and nest in. This size tank also allows ample room to accommodate not just a small colony of micro squirrels but for several hides, a wheel, a food dish, a water bottle, and plenty of climbing apparatus such as bird toys hung from the top of the tank, cork bark tubes, paper towel tubes and so on. African dormice are also very sensitive to light, so keep their enclosure away from bright lights and windows.

Wheel(s): It is important when selecting a wheel for your micro squirrels that you are purchasing a solid wheel with no slits or holes where their little toes can get caught, any such wheels including wire wheels aren’t safe.  There is also a distinction between wheels and the angled “saucer” shaped spinning plates commonly called “Free runners”. Solid Free runners can be offered alongside the solid wheel however they are not a replacement for wheels.
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