Japanese giant flying squirrel

Metabolic bone disease

SignsWobbly hind legs, bone deformity, easy fractures, poor growth. Caused by an unbalanced diet

PreventionBase the diet on many kinds of fresh leaves and branches; supplement calcium and vitamin D3 as directed by the vet

Overgrown incisors / malocclusion

SignsDrooling, dropping food, pawing at the mouth, weight loss. Teeth grow long and the mouth cannot close well

PreventionGive hard branches and acorns daily to wear the teeth. Check tooth length once a week

Diarrhea / indigestion in young

SignsWatery stool, soiled anal area, bloated belly, lethargy. Caused by wrong milk concentration or sudden formula changes

PreventionSmall-animal milk replacer, warmed, in small amounts. No cow's milk; switch formulas gradually over several days

Aspiration pneumonia

SignsChoking after feeding, milk from the nose, fast noisy breathing, open-mouth breathing

PreventionNever feed on the back. Feed belly-down, do not push milk in; give only what it suckles on its own

Hypothermia / hypoglycemia in young

SignsCold body, sluggish, weak suckling, seizures. Common in young just after a fall

PreventionWarming comes first. Do not feed until warm; then give a little sugar solution or diluted milk

External parasites / ringworm

SignsHair loss, dandruff, itching, attached ticks or fleas. Wild-caught individuals almost always carry them

PreventionDeworm/deparasitize at the vet right after rescue. Wear gloves when handling; isolate from other animals

Fractures / bruising from falls

PreventionKeep rescued young in a low, soft box. Line the floor of an adult's cage with thick bedding

First aidDo not palpate; wrap in a towel, put in a box, keep dark and quiet, and see a vet the same day. Head impact with dull responses: go now

Cat or dog bites

PreventionKeep rescued animals in a room without dogs or cats and shut the door. Cats often attack them outdoors

First aidAlways see a vet even if the wound is small. Infection and damage progress inside. Press bleeding with gauze, keep warm and transport

Torn gliding membrane

PreventionRemove wire-mesh corners and protruding wire ends from the cage. Do not use cloth that snags claws

First aidPress the bleeding spot with gauze; do not pull the membrane. Gliding ability is essential for release, so always see a vet

Entanglement in nets or wires

PreventionKeep it away from screens and netting during care. Outdoors, bird netting causes accidents

First aidWear thick gloves, cover the head with a cloth, and cut the net off with scissors. See a vet if there are constriction marks

Bacterial infection from bites

RouteOral bacteria enter through bite or scratch wounds

PreventionHandle with thick leather gloves. If bitten, rinse under running water for 5 minutes; see a doctor if it swells

Tick-borne diseases

RouteTicks on the animal move to people and feed

PreventionInspect the body right after rescue and treat for parasites. Do not crush ticks; have a vet or doctor remove them

Ringworm (dermatophytosis)

RouteFungus reaches human skin via contact with bald patches, hair or dandruff

PreventionWash hands after handling. See a dermatologist if a red ring-shaped rash appears on a person

Salmonellosis

RouteHand-to-mouth after touching droppings or soiled bedding

PreventionGloves for cleaning; wash hands before meals. Do not let children or the elderly handle it

Food

• Adults: fresh leaves and branches as the staple at night, plus a little nuts and fruit
• Young: small-animal milk replacer every few hours, fed belly-down
• Start weaning with soft leaves and fruit; discuss amounts with the vet

Water

• Provide both a water bottle and a shallow dish; change daily
• Young get fluids from milk; offer dish water only after weaning

Toys & play

• Fix thick fresh branches diagonally for climbing and gnawing
• Add natural items such as acorns and pine cones
• Run perches at height to create travel routes

Nest, bed & hideout

• Mount a wooden nest box at the very top and keep it dark
• Keep young warm in a fleece-lined box with a hot-water bottle

Bedding & litter

• Put dry leaves or finely shredded paper in the nest box
• Newspaper or hardwood chips on the floor; avoid stringy cloth
• It tends to pick one toilet spot, so change it daily

Cage / housing material

Large wire-mesh bird cage or a metal enclosure. Wood gets gnawed

Size & space

Ideally tall, 2 m or higher. Young start in a small box and move up in stages

Layout

• Nest box at the top; perches and branches arranged in three dimensions mid-level
• Thick bedding on the floor too, in case of falls
• Place food and water high up where it is easy to reach at night

Placement notes

• Keep it in a dark, quiet place by day and limit people coming and going
• Choose mesh fine enough that a young one's head cannot pass through

Exercise, free-roam & walks

• Do not let it loose in a room. Risk of both escape and bites
• Climbing and moving inside a tall cage substitutes for gliding
• Record activity levels during care as a recovery target for release

Temperature & humidity

TemperatureAdults 15–25°C. Keep the nest around 30°C for young

Humidity50–60%. Too dry and the skin and membrane crack

Summer & winter

• Summer: avoid direct sun, ventilate well, air-conditioning above 28°C
• Winter: thicken the nest box, heater on the outside. Beware sudden chills

Nail trimming

Claws are sharp for tree life. Normally worn down on branches. Have the vet trim overgrown claws

Brushing, skin & coat care

No brushing needed. Check weekly for ruffled fur, hair loss and ticks

Other care

Check tooth length and mouth soiling weekly. Also check membrane extension and wounds

Protection from predators

• Do not keep in the same room as dogs, cats or ferrets
• Do not keep outdoors. Crows, martens and cats will target it
• Keep mosquitoes and flies out to avoid wound contamination

Foreign-body ingestion

May eat newspaper edges or lint. Do not use stringy cloth; if food is not being eaten and no stool appears, see a vet

Being stepped on

One on the floor is hard to see in the dark. Turn on the light before walking at night and check where it is before opening the door

Getting pinched

Membrane or tail gets caught in door gaps or between perch and wall. Check the width of moving parts and close the nest box lid slowly

Falls

Young fall from the nest box and break bones. Keep them in a low box; line adult cage floors with thick bedding. See a vet if it does not move after a fall

Escape

Once out it is hard to catch and leaves through windows at night. Do care in a room with the door shut. If it escapes, darken the room, put out food, and contact the wildlife office

Safe release procedure

1. Freeze; keep the bitten hand still and wait a few seconds
2. Cover its face with a towel to darken; the grip tends to loosen
3. The moment it loosens, withdraw the hand and lower its body toward the nest box
4. Once free, close the cage and stay away for a while

After the release

Rinse under running water for 5 minutes and disinfect. Deep wounds, swelling or fever: see a doctor. Check your tetanus vaccination status

What to tell the vet & what to bring

Date, time and place of rescue, weight trend, type and amount of milk, stool photos, whether you hold a permit

Checking consciousness, breathing & heartbeat

• Breathing: watch chest movement and feel for air at nose and mouth
• Heartbeat: place fingers on the left side of the chest and feel for the beat
• Temperature: rectal temperature below 35°C is hypothermia

Stopping bleeding

• Keep pressing with clean gauze for 5 minutes
• For membrane or tail bleeding, press lightly on the body side of the wound
• If it does not stop, keep pressing and transport

Transport

• Dark box lined with a towel; hot-water bottle on the outside of the box
• Handle with thick gloves; drive calmly without shaking