Animal Life and the World of Nature/1903/06/Notes and Comments
Notes
and
Comments.
The Hon. Alice Foljambe, whose original painting of her pet squirrel is reproduced as a frontispiece to this number, has also supplied us with the following notes and the accompanying illustrations: "The Ground, or Fan-tailed Squirrel is a native of South Africa, where it lives in holes which it scoops out among the rocks. The specimen in my possession was caught near Kroonstad, in the Orange River Colony, and I have had him since last July.
His length, from the nose to the tip of the tail, is eighteen inches, of which the tail occupies one-half. Its head is like a marmot's, the ears being externally mere slits; but the stripes on its side remind one of the ground squirrel of North America. The eyes are large and black, the head and upper parts reddish-brown, slightly tinged with grey. There is a white stripe on each side, extending from the shoulder to the thigh, below which is a broad streak of chestnut fading into cream on the under-parts, where the fur is longer and softer than above, it being somewhat harsh and scanty on the rest of the body. But its chief glory is its tail. Reddish at the base, it becomes greyer towards the tip. The outside edge is creamy white, then comes a band of black, specially broad and deep at the tip, and the centre is beautifully variegated with black, reddish and white.
When asleep the tail is curled round over the head; when running it is usually kept carefully off the ground. Sometimes it is arched over the back somewhat after the fashion of our English squirrel, and it can be curled over, with every hair erect, in a peculiar manner which irresistibly reminds the spectator of a fan, whence its popular name. This beautiful appendage is most carefully looked after, being taken in the two front paws and thoroughly cleaned from end to end.
'Jacky,' or to give him his full name, 'John Vanderpomp,' is a most affectionate little animal, gentle as a pet dog to his mistress, and will allow himself to be pulled about and played with, without any attempt to use his teeth, which, as I know from former experience, are pretty sharp. He lives in a large tin-lined cage with a wire run 3 feet long by 1½ feet wide; it is built on wheels, and has even then to be raised off the ground if the latter be at all moist, as, though he does not require any great heat, being accustomed to so dry a climate the slightest damp is injurious to him, and would give him stiff legs or rheumatism. During most of the day he has the run of the green-houses (in one of which his cage is kept), where he thoroughly enjoys himself, and speedily made himself a hole in a corner by the hot-water pipes.
Here he will sleep, curled up in a ball, as often as not on his head. His food is Indian corn, also wheat, barley, and all sorts of grain, and he will eat biscuits and small nuts, almonds, sultanas, etc.; but his great treat is gingerbread in any form, over which he is most desperately greedy. He will get on my shoulder, when I am sitting on the ground, in order to get a better view of any possible hiding place for the dainty, and will try and force open the tin from which he has seen me take it. The only green food I have ever been able to persuade him to eat is green peas, and these he soon became very fond of; he had to be taught to open the pods, and I shall be curious to see if he remembers this next summer, as it was evidently quite a new idea to him. He is certainly possessed of some memory, as, if taken back to a place he has not visited for many weeks, he makes at once for his old play-places, and remembers all the objects that interested him before. Though tolerably active when awake, his chief pleasure in life seems to be (next to gingercake) sleep. He is not a nocturnal animal, but is always ready for a slumber if anyone will be so kind as to place their lap at his disposal.
To see him rise from his bed in the morning with many yawns and walk all round his cage stretching himself is most ludicrous. Recently a stock dove, recovering from a broken wing, came to share 'Jacky's' greenhouse. They were both let out for a walk together. 'Jacky' stood up on his hind legs and stared long and fixedly at the new-comer. The pigeon sat sulky, and evidently thought him rude. But when 'Jacky's' curiosity led him closer, he was repulsed with loud hisses and violent pecks in his direction. Now 'Jacky' ignores the pigeon's presence, but if he goes too close the latter's wrath is instantly aroused. Altogether the fan-tailed squirrel is a most charming pet, and only needs to be wider known to become a universal favourite. He is easily tamed and very intelligent, and seems able to distinguish words to a certain extent. 'Ginger-biscuit' is the one word that will arouse him from the sweetest sleep when all other coaxings fail.
It is amusing to see the little ball suddenly uncurl at that attractive sound. He answers to his name and is fairly obedient, though he has quite sufficient sense (!) to wait till no one is looking and go back to his little sins. He never utters except to show annoyance by a squeak, or terror by a succession of sounds curiously like a fit of human sneezing."
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From an original painting by the Hon. Alice Foljambe
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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