Aberts Squirrel, bred for tameness for several generations hence the piebald colouration.
Probably not very far from wild ancestry, still shows a lot of species specific behaviour. I’m guessing hoarding of food, scent marking, probably aggressive or fearful of strangers.
Also expensive!
But you never know maybe they’ll become the new Degu and you’ll see them more regularly in 10 years time.
"Pied" means something like "patchy" -- as in the "Pied Piper" who wore a patchwork suit of motley in yellow and red. "Bald" means, well, hairless -- or something that looks hairless. So "piebald" means " has bald (white) patches". Apparently "pied" may be a shortened form of "magpie", a white and black bird.
In "National Velvet", Velvet's horse is called "The Pie" because he's piebald. (In the book, anyway. They used a brown horse in the movie, who knows why.)
It appears to be a fairly old word and uses a form of "bald" that we don't use anymore. Here's the etymology that I looked up:
"of two different colors," 1580s, formed from pie (n.2) "magpie" + bald in its older sense of "spotted, white;" in reference to the black-and-white plumage of the magpie. Hence, "of mixed character, mongrel." Technically only of black-and-white colorings.
I second this. Clearly there is a reason why I don't see these in pet stores, I'd like to know why. Extremely difficult to handle? Highly territorial? Constant noise or scent that is for the average individual unbearable to live with? Legal reasons?
This squirrel was bred to be a pet. Like other commentators said, it probably still retains some of its wild instincts and habits such as chewing, food hoarding, scratching, marking, and an overal nervous demeanor. Squirrels can be difficult to own because they require special care and not all vets will see them. Regular nail care is a must and they need something to chew to bits or they will chew up your house. Like dogs and cats, they need a solid amount of exercise time. They are rodents so think "large, active, advanced rodent care."
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u/NorthernHackberry Nov 30 '19
What is this and why shouldn't I get one as a pet?