I’m obviously not expecting a thorough diagnosis, just curious what the most likely guess might be, if one can be made.
I’ve seen this poor thing most times I go to and from my car at work the last couple days.
It’s got much less hair, and it’s not as quick to run away from me as squirrels usually are. It might be moving slower, in general. Could mange cause behavioral changes as well such as slowness?
This is South Florida FWIW, so the temps are still in low 80s or so. It’s probably not moving slow because it’s cold.
Squirrel mange is a thing. Squirrels may also be susceptible to demodetic and sarcoptic mange, but it’s unclear. Mange of any sort can be quite debilitating, as the mites burrow into the skin, causing allergic reactions and inflammation, often compounded by scratching injuries and subsequent infections.
There are also various fungal diseases that can cause hair loss in rodents. Has it been particularly wet in your region lately?
If you can trap it, your local wildlife rescue may be willing to treat it, although they are subject to reinfection from the mange mites colonizing their nests. Otherwise, it’ll be a tasty addition to the local food web soon.
I haven’t seen him or her in a week or so, the poor thing has likely been naturally selected out of the population. I hope it was quick and relatively painless.
