# Richardsons ground squirrels.



## SSamm (Mar 9, 2006)

Been reading care sheet on them, but i want to know how people on here keep them.

Theres one in a shop near me.. over priced but i love him and want him!

Just need my mum to say yes.

But any pics/info muchly appreciated.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I love these too but Im not sure I have enough space for any so will be interested to read peoples comments
A few people on here keep them and Ive had the pleasure of major cuddles with a special boy:flrt:


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## SSamm (Mar 9, 2006)

Shell195 said:


> I love these too but Im not sure I have enough space for any so will be interested to read peoples comments
> A few people on here keep them and Ive had the pleasure of major cuddles with a special boy:flrt:


Well everytime i go to the shop i ask to have him out and give him a cuddle.

I took a couple pics of him too.

Dont want to pot them thought just incase im not allowoed to have him.

EDIT: worst part he allready has a name too - rufus


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Make sure your mum gets to cuddle him too then she cant resist:flrt:


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## SSamm (Mar 9, 2006)

Shell195 said:


> Make sure your mum gets to cuddle him too then she cant resist:flrt:


Im allready taking her there on her next day off 

I just cant tell my dad, as hel say no straight away. but he doesnt matter lol.


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

how much is he up for? 

whe we bought ours they were in a ferplast, but we didnt think it was suitable as the male (whos now passed away, rip chuff x) kept runnin up the bars and hittin his head on the shelf. We then had them in a 4ftx2ft viv, with a very deep substrate and tunnel system. They seem to love this. Though, they chewed through the back! ive been told the safest thing to keep RGS in is a huge glass tank with a strong wire mesh lid as they cant climb it or chew through it!!


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## colinm (Sep 20, 2008)

They are great little things.I have kept them in a large glass vivarium but they liked to chew the silicon !!! I do think they need space and the ability to burrow, but they are great escape artists.
They can make good pets but you have to put a lot of time in as they are very intelligent and do require stimulation.If you get one that is not tame they can bite and scratch.
Feed them with wild bird food, greenstuff and some livefood.Not too many peanuts and sunflower seeds as they can get overweight.


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## SSamm (Mar 9, 2006)

He is as tame as anything and that why i want him and only him, hes up for £200 which i know i way over priced, but i want him, so im not overly fussed. Hes adorable, in great condition. and so cuddly. Had my eye on him for about 4 or so months now, the female sold and hes still there!!


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

if hes been there so long try and haggle then! £200 is fairly steep! i paid £150 for my pair with cage!


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## SSamm (Mar 9, 2006)

I will do, but ill also be asking them to hold him for me for 2 months untill my birthday in may.

Going to see him again today with my mum, so finger crossed, she just doesnt want smell and mess, but i said ill build a perspex edge, and i sniffed him last time, he donesnt smell!! lol.


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## NaomiR (Jan 26, 2009)

I heard they were smelly but mine doesn't smell - she's in a 3 foot "rabbit" cage which is a plastic base with a clear perspex lid with a wire grill on the top.

She has fairly deep "bedding" of wood shavings mixed with Naturals bedding and some paper bedding. She LOVES hay and straw and spends most evening running round carting bedding material about in the mouth and taking it into her nest which is just a little cardboard box but she loves it.

She has a lot of (apple tree) branches, tubes and 2 "sand" boxes, she uses one as a toilet and the other gets dug in a lot. I use chinchilla-bathing sand.

At the moment I'm giving her a mixture of wild bird food, chipmunk and squirrel food (as they are essentially squirrels) but we're going through all the fresh stuff to see what she does and doesn't like, so far she likes banana, apple and melon but doesn't like apple or celery!!

She's already 4 years old and I've not (yet) been able to handle her, I'm not frightened as her owner told me she's never bitten but she's still really nervous and I would rather she came to ME in her own time. I don't give up easily so I'm hoping to post pictures of me cuddling or at least stroking her soon.........

She is THE MOST endearing little creature I've ever owned (and I breed baby nethies lol) she's really curious and SO interesting, I can watch her for hours. At the moment she's only coming out between sun set and sun rise but I have heard they are sometimes up in the day so I'm hoping to see a bit more of her as the taming process forwards........

I'm really hoping to get another one some day soon because I would really like a youngster but they're way expensive - I wouldn't pay more than £150 for a single one though : victory:


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## Rum_Kitty (Jun 14, 2009)

Are richardson's ground squirrels solitary animals then?


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## colinm (Sep 20, 2008)

My pair seemed happier together than when the male was left a widower.every now and then he would get over amorous .I do think that they are communal animals.


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## Stacey010884 (Mar 7, 2009)

I was put off after hearing that if they don't hibernate it causes health problems and an early death.

Whether it's true or false I don't know, I decided on a skunk so didn't look into it further.


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## penfold (Sep 9, 2007)

we have a pair at the mo they have been hibernating in a big cage full of straw which they made a burrow in the middle of now its warming up they are starting to come out ,you can hear them sing in the evening ,we are about to move as soon as we are in our new house we are gonna build an outside enclosure basically a massive sand pit and out they go ,maybe get a couple more females:2thumb:


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## Amyboo (Nov 11, 2007)

at what temps did yours hibernate at?


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## NaomiR (Jan 26, 2009)

they MUCH prefer company but Ava's mate died last year and it would be almost impossible to pair her up again as they can be aggressive - shame as I'm sure she is a little lonely.


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## penfold (Sep 9, 2007)

Amyboo said:


> at what temps did yours hibernate at?


 about 1 degree was very cold


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

They're not Richardsons they're mine :whistling2:


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## NaomiR (Jan 26, 2009)

bobby said:


> They're not Richardsons they're mine :whistling2:


ahhhhhh "bobby's ground squirrels" I like it :2thumb:


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