Can You Keep a Squirrel as a Pet? Here Are All the Available Species
Recently, a grey squirrel known as P-Nut was seized by state officials and euthanized from his owners in New York. Despite being an orphan that was rescued from the wild as a baby, his owners lacked the proper licenses to keep him in captivity in the state of New York— a state which despises exotic pet ownership and keeps them tightly regulated— which resulted in his seizure, and consequent death.
P-Nut’s incident has created quite the buzz online. Many people were previously unaware that squirrels could be kept as pets, and are now curious about the subject. Even more people were charmed by P-Nut’s tameness and sweet personality, and desire to purchase a squirrel for themselves to keep as a pet.
This article will cover every species of squirrel you can purchase from a breeder in the United States, how much each species costs, whether or not squirrels make good pets, and how commonly they are available.
Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Grey squirrels are the most commonly available species.
Summary
Availability: Common
Price: Cheap ($600+)
Kept Indoors: Yes
Care: Intermediate
The grey squirrel is a medium sized rodent indigenous to the eastern United States. They are extremely prolific animals that have even become invasive species in the United Kingdom and some parts of Europe, where they are outcompeting native Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and contributing to their population decline.
Due to their extreme abundance in urban areas, grey squirrel babies are often found orphaned or injured by good Samaritans. These people will occasionally keep them as pets; but this is illegal without a Wildlife Captivity Permit in virtually every state, and said permits are not given to pet owners. Therefore, if you find an orphaned baby squirrel, it is recommended you surrender it to your closest wildlife rehabilitation center to avoid it being seized and euthanized like P-Nut.
The only way to legally own a grey squirrel is by purchasing a captive bred baby from a breeder licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in states that permit their ownership. Some states will allow you to keep a pet squirrel if you apply for a permit (such as Florida) while others only allow you to own nonnative squirrels that will be listed further on.
Despite being rodents, like mice or rats, squirrels are more difficult to care for. They have high energy levels and will not tolerate being caged, requiring enclosures that are at least 10’Lx10’Wx6’H and made from wire of sufficient gauge to not be chewed or torn through. You can build something yourself, or purchase welded wire dog kennels by manufacturers such as PawHut, which you can view here.
A squirrel enclosure at a zoo. Squirrels of all species require a lot of space compared to other rodents.
© MagpieGoose via ZooChat
Grey squirrels are very easy to feed. Commercially available diets exist for them, of which I recommend Exotic Nutrition’s “Squirrel Complete”. It is available on Amazon and creates a nutritionally complete diet when complimented with small amounts of low-sugar fruits and vegetables. You may also provide treats in the form of nuts (peanuts, pecans, etc.) and insects such as mealworms. Fruit that is high in sugar should be given in moderation; squirrels are prone to both obesity and diabetes, and do not require much sugar in their diets to begin with.
Grey squirrels are known for being very nippy and temperamental as pets, and I can attest to this with my experience raising 2 of them into adulthood. They may bite hard enough to break your skin, and dislike being picked up and held in your hand once they grow up. However, they are still very friendly, easy to handle, and love to ride around on your shoulder. They are best described as domestic rats that are larger, longer lived (up to 20 years) and more independent.
Prevost’s Squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii)
A Prevost’s squirrel. They are among the most colorful species of squirrel on the planet on the planet.
Summary
Availability: Rare
Price: Expensive ($2500+)
Kept Indoors: Yes
Care: Intermediate
The Prevost’s squirrel (also known as the Asian tri-colored squirrel) is a gorgeous animal that can come in a few different color patterns depending on locality. In the wild, they are native to the Thai-Malay peninsula, and are common in their range. In captivity, they are somewhat uncommonly kept, especially in comparison to grey squirrels which can be found for sale mostly anywhere they are legal. As a result, they are expensive, and average around $2500 for a tame baby. You will most likely have to put a deposit down with a breeder and join a waitlist in order to purchase one.
The care requirements for Prevost’s squirrels are identical to grey squirrels, but one small difference is that they require more fruit and proteins (such as hard boiled eggs) in their diet. They are also not cold tolerant and cannot be kept outdoors in cold climates for extended periods of time.
Behavior wise, Prevost’s are one of the best species of squirrel to keep as a pet, and not nearly as nippy or temperamental as grey squirrels. However, they do have longer claws that will scratch you when they play or climb on your body.
Variegated Squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides)
A red morph of the variegated squirrel.
© Giant Eland via ZooChat
Summary
Availability: Common
Price: Cheap
Kept Indoors: Yes
Care: Intermediate
The last species that will be discussed in this article is also the newest species available in the pet trade: the Variegated squirrel. These squirrels are similarly sized to grey squirrels, but far more colorful. They come in two color morphs: red (pictured above), and white. The white morphs are the only color available in the pet trade.
Variegated squirrels are commonly available by some large importers and retail pet stores, but due to not being wild caught or “farm raised” animals they are not tame and may be sickly. If you are interested in purchasing a variegated squirrel as a pet, do so from someone who has captive bred babies available.
These squirrels have identical care requirements to the other species on this list. However, some breeders who worked with them in Germany during 2015 fell ill and died after contracting “variegated squirrel 1 bornavirus" (VSBV-1). How prevalent this virus is in variegated squirrels is unknown, and it is poorly researched. It is not clear whether the disease originated in Germany or whether the pathogen was introduced into the country through the importation of animals already infected with VSBV-1, but it is worth taking note of.
Squirrels can make wonderful pets for the right people. If you are interested in purchasing a squirrel as a pet, I recommend browsing websites such as Exotic Animals For Sale and finding a breeder. Squirrels breed in the spring and summer, and most breeders sell out fast; I would suggest finding a breeder and joining their waitlist if you ultimately decide a squirrel is the right pet for you.
