# My Flying Squirrel and Parrot



## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

Samson the flryinf squirrel:










Boomerang my Yellow Naped Amazon


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

I had to laugh when I saw your thread title. We just spent $650 to have flying squirrels removed from our house/attic. They are a real problem here in NH (apparently) and they managed to squeeze themselves into a tiny space under our dormers.

I have to say that the pic. of Samson is pretty great though. 

And Boomerang is a beautiful bird. I'm pretty sure we won't have to have Yellow Naped Amazon removal anytime soon :lol:


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Those are VERY cute! How much did Sampson cost?


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

Romad said:


> I had to laugh when I saw your thread title. We just spent $650 to have flying squirrels removed from our house/attic. They are a real problem here in NH (apparently) and they managed to squeeze themselves into a tiny space under our dormers.
> 
> I have to say that the pic. of Samson is pretty great though.
> 
> And Boomerang is a beautiful bird. I'm pretty sure we won't have to have Yellow Naped Amazon removal anytime soon :lol:


Lol your quote in your siggy cracks me up. 

Yes any squirrel can be a huge problem for houses. I dont blame you they are hard to get rid of! Luckily Samson is a southern flying squirrel, not a northern flying squirrel (the ones you had to deal with). One person's pest is another person's pet I guess lol glad I didnt have to pay that much to get him.


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

bryanacute said:


> Those are VERY cute! How much did Sampson cost?


Thanks! Much better alternative than hamsters and the like because of the lng life span and sweet disposition. I do love hamsters its just so hard tk find a non aggressive one or a breeder. He is four years old I dont remember. Maybe $100 bucks? He was from a breeder.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

The first pic of the squirrel looks like taxidermy! How did you capture him jumping like that?!


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

Laki said:


> The first pic of the squirrel looks like taxidermy! How did you capture him jumping like that?!


Lol he does i suppose. I caoture motion like that with llots of good timing, patience and a good DSLR and fast shutter speed with flash. I just put him on a perch and run away so he wont jump right to me (he is very bonded to me), and then I get closer and he glides to me and I keep doing this until I get it right. 

I have more in flight photos, but I have to wait for my new computer to come in to take them off my external hard drive.


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## Bsalem05 (Oct 30, 2012)

I'm a lil iffy about Amazons lately.. lol

We have one named Sinbad where I work and the bird HATES I MEAN HATES my guts... 
He was out of his cage on someones shoulder and I did pass by him a couple of times without any incidents.. well.. I went across the room to clean a cage and had my back turned... well next thing I know something drops me to the ground and is on my back laughing and attacking! 

Got a nice gash under my lip that thankful didnt need stitches because of where it was and how clean the "edges" of the wound were.. but I did have to get a tetanus shot.

I refuse to work with him anymore..


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Oh man! I have ALWAYS wanted a flying squirell, you have no idea how jealous I am. I honestly didnt think people bred them, I thought the only ones there are, were wild ones.
Now that I know you can own and buy them, I will have to look into it.

I would complement you on your parrot, but I am deathly afraid of birds.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

My flying squirrels don't come around anymore, now that my Ringtail is in semi-residence. 

Too bad. I miss them. <sigh>


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

aemaki09 said:


> Oh man! I have ALWAYS wanted a flying squirell, you have no idea how jealous I am. I honestly didnt think people bred them, I thought the only ones there are, were wild ones.
> Now that I know you can own and buy them, I will have to look into it.
> 
> I would complement you on your parrot, but I am deathly afraid of birds.


There are a select few breeders in the country that ship, but there are local breeders. Im a member of the nfsa so that is a good connection if youre looking to buy one. They should not be taken from the wild. The waiting list will be a good year or two from what i remember because they only have about 4 babies at most I believe. 

No worries about the parrot lol birds can do some serious damage, so its not like its an unecessary fear. Haha 



Bsalem05 said:


> I'm a lil iffy about Amazons lately.. lol
> 
> We have one named Sinbad where I work and the bird HATES I MEAN HATES my guts...
> He was out of his cage on someones shoulder and I did pass by him a couple of times without any incidents.. well.. I went across the room to clean a cage and had my back turned... well next thing I know something drops me to the ground and is on my back laughing and attacking!
> ...


Ouch im sooooo sorry to hear about your bad experience.  this should never have been allowed to happen to you or the bird. Glad youre ok now. Not all yna are like that, but it sounds like sinbad was doing what he was allowed to do (be dominant and uncontrolled like an aggressive dog allowed to be off leash). I hope I can type this without sounding like a jerk. But He should have had his wings clipped and not be allowed to be higher than a humans eye level at any time, and not be allowed on shoulders (they see height as dominance). Had these precautions been followed you would not have gotten hurt (since you know he hates you proper precautions should have been taken by your place of work to protect the bird and you). Also...if you were near his cage....he was protecting his house. More reason to clip his wings. Safety for both of you  the people holding him are lucky they were not bitten too as sometimes parrots do a behavior called "displaced anger" where he takes his agression out on them because he cant get to you. A "surrogate enemy toy" and perches that arent your hand along with a wing clip would benefit everyone. 

Most yellow nape amazons are one person birds and get very hormonal. Boomer loves me, but will try to tear up anyone else that goes near him. I can pet him and do whatever. He chose me (I rescued him from an owner who nearly killed him with negligence because he didnt like her and she didnt know parrot behavior). 

How old is this bird? If he is 8 or younger he will be at his most aggressive (puberty) Although my Amazon is a cuddle bug, i would never ever allow him on my shoulder for dominance reasons and he is still a wild animal. They give plenty of warning before they bite, but its hard to read when its on your shoulder (or in your case, when you need to turn your back which you should be allowed to do safely). 

I know you didnt ask for this info and I hope it doesnt sound like a lecture to you. Im just sad that you got hurt and that this bird isnt under control or having his behavior addressed by your boss/work. If you have to work with him again and you ever see an amazons tail flare...and his eyes go from big to small pupils...stay away. It can mean excitement or anger....both can result in a bite depending on other body language and the bird.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

you're very knowledgeable!
lol I know all about taking a hundred pictures to find one good one! Haha! It's a good thing we live in a digital age now!


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

Laki said:


> you're very knowledgeable!
> lol I know all about taking a hundred pictures to find one good one! Haha! It's a good thing we live in a digital age now!


Thanks! I love the challenge of difficult species (like the yellow napes) and sharing info. My guy is 37 years old...maybe 38 now have to check lol And I learned through forums, reading experience etc. I just like to talk too lol im always open to new animal husbandry ideas/learning. So if anyone has any. Share! 

And thank goodness we live in a digital age. Id spend wwaaaay too much money on film! Most of my pictures are of my fish animals or landscapes.


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## efg321 (Jan 11, 2013)

Totally thought Samson was taxidermy very cool pet! cant wait to see other pics


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## Bsalem05 (Oct 30, 2012)

Aleu said:


> There are a select few breeders in the country that ship, but there are local breeders. Im a member of the nfsa so that is a good connection if youre looking to buy one. They should not be taken from the wild. The waiting list will be a good year or two from what i remember because they only have about 4 babies at most I believe.
> 
> No worries about the parrot lol birds can do some serious damage, so its not like its an unecessary fear. Haha
> 
> ...


No offence taken! I completely agree with you. 
He really has a dislike of me because I was one of the people treating him for bumble foot. ( I work at a wildlife/nature center) so he associates me with that..
His permanent housing is in a big outside aviary where he rules the roost. So he doesnt really have all that much "hand" attention.. him being inside was an added factor of him having a grudge.. they are to smart in my opinion! lol

I believe he might be in his 20s... not positive. He was willed to go to the center by a man who passed away.

He seems to not like blonds which I find kind of funny..
He has bonded to one of my coworkers though..(shes a brunette) lol 

It is a hazard of my job to be injured once in a while.. but that was one I did not expect! lol


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

Bsalem05 said:


> No offence taken! I completely agree with you.
> He really has a dislike of me because I was one of the people treating him for bumble foot. ( I work at a wildlife/nature center) so he associates me with that..
> His permanent housing is in a big outside aviary where he rules the roost. So he doesnt really have all that much "hand" attention.. him being inside was an added factor of him having a grudge.. they are to smart in my opinion! lol
> 
> ...


Haha uh oh you had to be the bad guy. Amazons will rule the roost any chance they get. Haha Boomer had held a grudge when i had to cone him for his fdb (from his prior neglect). He still adores me though and I hope to make the rest of his life happy. He imitates a man's smoker cough and laugh..so cool how they are auditory histories of their lives. Sucks that his previous owners smoked around him though (he has damaged air sacs from constant irritation and falls according to the vet). Whats weird though is a woman owned him who smoked so he must have had previous male owners because she lived alone. 

Thats funny he hates blondes! (Sorry for you though  ) . It is funny how they hate silly things or like silly things....but it is part of their nature...esepcially ahen it has to do with color. My indian ringneck is in love with most black things for example (like my old cell phone)...cant take pictures of her much anymore because she clucks and starts trying to woo my cell phone lol She prefers men, whereas my amazon hates men.

They have very complex preferences and can hate or like the most silly things. My friend's amazon wouldnt let her touch him when she painted her nails lol! He looked at her like she was an alien. 


To introduce new toys to boomers cage, i have to leave it outside for a week and bring it closer and closer so he gets used to it first. They are also very emotional birds....add that with intelligence and you get some serious dislike and grudges as you said. I wasnt sure if you worked at a pet store and were made to care for them or what. I felt so bad. Obviously not much anyone can do in an aviary. Aviary birds are different. Haha I bet you get worse from wildlife talons and claws though over a hookbills. Im glad you didnt need stitches! Cockatoos are even worse. That and their screams have them on craigslist or locked in inadequate conditions in no time. Im glad you guys have him. 



They are definitely too smart! Hehe they are I always worry for my zon when I pass if I pass unexpectedly. They get so depressed too. At least he has someone he adores and he is at a sanctuary because l too often they get passed around! My ringneck will bite me, but loves my boyfriend. Lol oh well. They switch loyalties too, little buggars, but at 20 something years old id say he is done switching loyalties! 

Do you ever post pictures of all the birdsies you save there? That would be fun to see!


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

It also would have been observant of me to read your siggy! I cant wait until my laptop comes in because this tiny screen on my phone is not only awful for typos, but also for scrolling so I can see everything at once. Sorry about that and if I repeat myself! Edits arent easy either. Lol


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## eemmais (Oct 28, 2012)

I didn't even know people had flying squirrels as pets?! I want one!!  your parrots beautiful! I like his name too


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## blu the betta (Dec 31, 2012)

just like aemaki09 ive always wanted a flying squirrel. we live in scrub/desert. so we dont get them here. did you know that african grey parrots are the worlds smartest birds. they are as smart as 3-4 year olds.


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

eemmais said:


> I didn't even know people had flying squirrels as pets?! I want one!!  your parrots beautiful! I like his name too


Thank you! He picks his wings but he still has a pretty face. I call him turkey butt sometimes because of the plucking he does. Flying squirrels are great pets. They live for 10 years or more I believe.  lots of personality too, and they are quick and energetic. 



blu the betta said:


> just like aemaki09 ive always wanted a flying squirrel. we live in scrub/desert. so we dont get them here. did you know that african grey parrots are the worlds smartest birds. they are as smart as 3-4 year olds.


Awww. You can buy one from a breeder though. I have never seen one in the wild. I live in the north. Lol and yes I did know that. ALEX the african grey and irene pepperberg ( spelling?) helped prove that it wasnt just chimps and dolphins who had emotions and intelligence. Her book Alex and Me is a great read by the way if anyone is interested. 

Most of the larger parrots have the emotional capabilities and intelligence of a 2 or 3 year old, but african greys, like you said, top that list.


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## eemmais (Oct 28, 2012)

Of course fluing squirells are illegal where I live (CA) D: One day I'll move to another state so I can get an axalotl, hedgehog, and flying squirell!


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

eemmais said:


> Of course fluing squirells are illegal where I live (CA) D: One day I'll move to another state so I can get an axalotl, hedgehog, and flying squirell!


Aww im sorry to hear that.  its definitely important to check your states fisheries and wildlife pages to make sure they are legal. Hedgies too?


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## eemmais (Oct 28, 2012)

Yep :/ it seems like whenever I find an awesome per its illegal in my state. Oh well, at least I can have my betta fish


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## eatmice2010 (Jan 1, 2013)

Omg i love amazons  My mom has a blue front amazon that's 22yrs old named (venis). My mom got him when he was a baby. she was working at a pet store distributor and was volunteering to help a local rade on a bird mill when she got him. They where going to euthanize him because he had severe crop rot, so my mom took him home instead. He loved my mom until i was born then he liked me, He will jump at my mom with his mouth open, but i can pet him and pick him up, it pretty funny to watch. Oh and his girl friend is our 11yr old Pit Bull (Kayla), If he sees her, he gets on the ground and follows her and will lay next to her if Kayla is sleeping


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## Aleu (Jan 18, 2013)

eatmice2010 said:


> Omg i love amazons  My mom has a blue front amazon that's 22yrs old named (venis). My mom got him when he was a baby. she was working at a pet store distributor and was volunteering to help a local rade on a bird mill when she got him. They where going to euthanize him because he had severe crop rot, so my mom took him home instead. He loved my mom until i was born then he liked me, He will jump at my mom with his mouth open, but i can pet him and pick him up, it pretty funny to watch. Oh and his girl friend is our 11yr old Pit Bull (Kayla), If he sees her, he gets on the ground and follows her and will lay next to her if Kayla is sleeping


Aww BFA's are cute. Its so funny how they pick certain people and pets to be their "favorites". Im so glad to hear this happy story. I wish I got boomer when je was young since he obviously faced a lot of abuse and is fearful, but doing the best I can. Thats funny how he chose you after your mom. It happens! Good for your mom for battling the frop rot thats expensive and difficult to treat and for them to survive. Bird mills are awful


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## eatmice2010 (Jan 1, 2013)

Aleu- Thank you


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