A deer was spotted having a late-night snack in Arnold, Missouri, on May 23, with some of its non-albino companions.
Meanwhile, there have been reports of squirrels with wart-like growths appearing in various backyards across several states, raising concerns about a virus that can sometimes be fatal.
Images of these squirrels have been making the rounds on social media, leading residents to worry that the warts might be transmissible to their pets or other wildlife.
The illness in question is known as squirrel pox or squirrel fibroma. It originally emerged in the UK and has proven deadly for red squirrels.
Squirrel pox manifests as hairless tumors on the skin of fox and gray squirrels, which can occur anywhere on their bodies.
Laurie Brown, a wildlife research technician from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, indicated that these fibromas often resolve independently. However, in serious cases, they might obstruct a squirrel’s eating, vision, or mobility, potentially leading to malnutrition or greater predation risks, which can be fatal.
One notable instance occurred in Ashtabula, Ohio, in late May, when a resident named Jessie Crislip found a squirrel with lesions all around its head and eyes in her yard. “That poor squirrel suffered,” Crislip remarked while sharing photos of the animal.
Brown mentioned that squirrel pox is related to other poxviruses impacting rabbits and deer. Theresa Carroll, the owner of Halfway Home Wildlife Rehab in Livonia, Michigan, has cared for multiple squirrels afflicted by this condition. One of them, named Phlox, was brought to her in early June, covered in warts due to squirrel pox.
Phlox was able to be released by the end of June after a noteworthy recovery. Carroll previously treated another squirrel named Maxine in 2025, who was also a fox squirrel. Maxine took nearly a month to recover before being released.
Treatment typically involves providing immune support until the squirrels exhibit signs of improvement. Currently, Carroll is looking after another gray squirrel named Bugsy, who is slowly progressing towards recovery.
Young squirrels like Maxine are more susceptible to squirrel pox. Brown explained that transmission primarily happens through biting insects such as mosquitoes, with other biting insects like flies and midges also being capable of passing on the virus.
To help prevent the transmission of squirrel pox in local populations, Brown recommends eliminating any standing water where mosquitoes might breed. Additionally, reducing food sources can limit interactions between squirrels. It’s important to note that the virus does not seem to affect humans or other animals aside from squirrels.
