{"id":660069,"date":"2026-06-26T21:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T21:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/660069\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T21:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T21:50:10","slug":"zombie-squirrels-with-oozing-warts-are-found-in-several-states-in-peoples-backyards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/660069\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Zombie\u2019 squirrels with oozing warts are found in several states in peoples\u2019 backyards"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Squirrels with unsettling wart-like lesions have been seen in several U.S. states this summer – but experts say the grotesque sight is caused by a common disease that often clears up on its own. <\/p>\n

Residents in several states, including Florida, Michigan and North Carolina, have spotted squirrels with oozing tumors on their heads and bodies in recent weeks, the Daily Mail<\/a> reported. The growths inspired many to nickname them \u201czombie squirrels\u201d – but these rodents aren\u2019t coming back from the dead. <\/p>\n

Instead, the tumors are likely linked to squirrel fibromatosis, a disease caused by the Lepripoxvirus.<\/p>\n

The tumors often don\u2019t affect the squirrels or impact their ability to survive, but in rare cases, they can spread to their organs, causing weakness and lethargy, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources<\/a>. Infections tend to happen in the spring and summer \u2013 leading to a flurry of social media posts about the \u201czombie squirrels\u201d each year.<\/p>\n

\u201cFound this poor squirrel in my back yard really scared the crap out of me because I could tell it looked deformed,\u201d one Ohio resident wrote on Facebook<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n

\"So-calledSo-called \u2018zombie squirrels\u2019 are popping up in states across the U.S. Experts say the wart-like growths are likely caused by squirrel firomatosis (Wild Things Sanctuary NY)<\/p>\n

Another Facebook user shared<\/a> photos of an Eastern Gray Squirrel with \u201cpatchy fur and reddish bumps\u201d foraging in a Tarpon Springs, Florida, backyard. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of their alarming appearance, those infected are often called \u2018Zombie Squirrels.\u2019 Fortunately, the infection usually clears up on its own and squirrels often recover within four to eight weeks,\u201d the user wrote on June 3.<\/p>\n

The virus isn\u2019t cause for alarm, either. Humans and household pets (like cats and dogs) can\u2019t catch squirrel fibromatosis, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. But homeowners who spot the squirrels in their backyards still shouldn\u2019t try to catch them, experts say.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would not recommend trying to capture a squirrel that has the virus. It is naturally occurring and will run its course in time,\u201d Shevenell Webb, a wildlife biologist and furbearer specialist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told Bangor Daily News<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n

The disease can quickly spread between squirrels when they gather in groups. Webb urged homeowners to consider removing bird feeders from their yards, which squirrels often flock around to steal a quick snack.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like when you get a large concentration of people,\u201d Webb said. \u201cIf someone is sick and it\u2019s something that spreads easily, others are going to catch it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":660070,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[90,56,54,55,4407],"class_list":["post-660069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660069\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}