{"id":776786,"date":"2026-07-03T03:05:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T03:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/776786\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T03:05:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T03:05:21","slug":"sick-squirrels-covered-in-warts-spotted-in-backyards-across-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/776786\/","title":{"rendered":"Sick squirrels covered in warts spotted in backyards across US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The deer was caught enjoying a late-night snack in Arnold, Missouri on Friday, May 23. The deer was joined by a few of it’s non-albino friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Squirrels covered in wart-like growths are showing up in backyards in several states with a virus that can be fatal in some cases.<\/p>\n

Photos of these squirrels have circulated on social media, with residents expressing concern that the warts could be contagious to their pets or harm other wild animals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/ <\/p>\n

Phlox, wet, after coming into Halfway Home Wildlife Rehab and receiving some care.<\/p>\n

(Theresa Carroll\/Halfway Home WIldlife Rehab \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n

The virus is called squirrel pox or squirrel fibroma, and it originated in the United Kingdom and is fatal to red squirrels.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS YOUR STATE ANIMAL? SEE THE OFFICIAL LIST FEATURING ALL 50 STATES<\/a><\/p>\n

Squirrel pox presents as hairless tumors that grow on the skin of fox and gray squirrels. The tumors can be on any part of the squirrel’s body.<\/p>\n

\"Phlox, <\/p>\n

Phlox, the gray squirrel affected by squirrel pox, with warts all over her face a body.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Theresa Carroll\/Halfway Home WIldlife Rehab \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n

Laurie Brown, wildlife<\/a> research technician with the Ohio<\/a> Division of Wildlife<\/a>, said the fibromas typically resolve on their own.<\/p>\n

But in severe cases, these growths can interfere with a squirrel’s ability to eat, see or move, which can lead to starvation and increased risk of predation, often times becoming fatal.<\/p>\n

READY FOR A HUNT? YOU COULD WIN MONEY FOR HUNTING THESE INVASIVE SNAKES DURING ANNUAL CHALLENGE<\/a><\/p>\n

One possible instance of this happened in Ashtabula<\/a>, Ohio, in late May, when resident Jessie Crislip discovered a squirrel with lesions all over its head and eyes in her yard.<\/p>\n

\"Squirrel <\/p>\n

Squirrel affected with squirrel pox discovered in Ashtabula, Ohio, on May 25, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Jessie Crislip\/Facebook \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n

“That poor squirrel suffered,” Crislip said, sharing photos of the animal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Brown said squirrel pox is related to other poxviruses that affect rabbits and deer.<\/p>\n

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Theresa Carroll is the owner of Halfway Home Wildlife Rehab<\/a> based in Livonia<\/a>, Michigan<\/a>, and she has now cared for three different squirrels impacted by squirrel pox.<\/p>\n

Phlox, a gray squirrel, came to her in early June covered in warts from squirrel pox.<\/p>\n

\"Phlox's <\/p>\n

Phlox’s head the day she was released from Halfway Home Wildlife Rehab.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Theresa Carroll\/Halfway Home WIldlife Rehab \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n

Phlox was released from her care in late June after showing significant recovery.<\/p>\n

Carroll said she treated another squirrel with the virus in 2025 named Maxine. Maxine was a fox squirrel in similar condition to Phlox. She was released after nearly a month.<\/p>\n

NOT ALL BAD: CYBORG COCKROACHES COULD ONE DAY HELP SAVE LIVES<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Maxine's <\/p>\n

Maxine’s body covered in warts from squirrel pox.<\/p>\n

(Theresa Carroll\/Halfway Home WIldlife Rehab \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n

She said treatment is given in the form of immune support, until the squirrels show signs of recovery, then they are released.<\/p>\n

\"Maxine <\/p>\n

Maxine with squirrel pox all over her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Theresa Carroll\/Halfway Home WIldlife Rehab \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n

Bugsy is a gray squirrel currently in her care. She said he is eating and making slow progress toward release.<\/p>\n

Squirrel pox is more likely to infect young squirrels like Maxine.<\/p>\n

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“Transmission occurs through biting insects, such as mosquitos, which is the primary route of transmission between squirrels,” Brown said.<\/p>\n

She said other biting insects that can pass the virus include flies and biting midges.<\/p>\n

NOT ALL BAD: CYBORG COCKROACHES COULD ONE DAY HELP SAVE LIVES<\/a><\/p>\n

Brown said to combat the spread of squirrel pox to squirrels in your area, remove any standing water that mosquitoes may breed in.<\/p>\n

\"Maxine <\/p>\n

Maxine after recovering from squirrel pox.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Theresa Carroll\/Halfway Home WIldlife Rehab \/ FOX Weather)<\/p>\n

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER<\/a><\/p>\n

She suggested removing food sources to help cut back on contact with other squirrels.<\/p>\n

The virus isn’t known to transmit to humans or other animals besides squirrels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The deer was caught enjoying a late-night snack in Arnold, Missouri on Friday, May 23. The deer was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":776787,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[2837,49,48,1447,4779,6376,3093,66,200466,182,323],"class_list":["post-776786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-animals","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-michigan","tag-nature","tag-ohio","tag-outdoors","tag-science","tag-stay22","tag-us","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=776786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/776786\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/776787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=776786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=776786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=776786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}