When Do Squirrels Have Babies?

When you see squirrels running all about in different spaces, it is easy to assume that squirrels have babies in similar ways with many animals in the wild. However, most times, we tend to fail to research the question “when do squirrels have babies” and go on with our assumptions.

Squirrels have babies about 6 weeks after they mate which only happens twice a year. They give birth to their baby squirrels at this time, they nurture, protect and take care of their own till they are fit to go out by themselves. They have two mating seasons which are late winter or early spring, which is from February to April and summer, which is within August to September.

As a result of their specific mating season, squirrels only give birth to about twice per year. That makes it impossible for them to give birth to many children as their rage is between two to five young squirrels at a time.

However, there are still more fascinating discoveries to be made about the squirrel which we would cover in subsequent questions. You would get to know about their attributes, types and where you can find them.

Types Of Squirrels

Grey Squirrel

The grey squirrel is the most popular in North America among these species. They are more likely to have up to nine babies in just one litter. Although squirrels mate twice in a year, some of them do not give birth both times. However, the grey squirrel has higher chances of giving birth twice a year than others. You find them in trees.

Red Squirrel

Red squirrels are another kind that you also find in North America. However, their mating pattern is different from the others because the male squirrels chase the female squirrels after dominating other competitors. The process is quick, but they mate multiple times for conception.

Gestation among this species lasts for only 35 days compared to the normal 44 days for other types of the squirrel.

Fox Squirrel

The fox squirrel does not have a specific time for mating like its counterparts; they live mostly in trees. The baby squirrel is made all year long, and their female squirrels have the liberty to mate with various partners during just one breeding period. The question when do squirrels have babies defers among the different types.

A fox squirrel is conceived by the mother squirrel 45 days after mating with the male. These rodents have up to seven young squirrels in only one litter.

Ground Squirrel

Ground squirrels are different from all the previous highlighted tree squirrels. They come out after winter when the weather is warmer for them. Their females have multiple partners, and a litter can have more than one father. In a litter, they produce the most number of babies compared to the other types.

The mother squirrels conceive up to 15 babies once per year. After their mating season that lasts for three weeks, their young ones take up to 25-30 days before they are born.

Flying Squirrel

There are two types of flying squirrels; they include the Northern and the Southern. This animal can be found on a tree as the ever leaf and broadleaf that are in the forest.

The southern squirrel prefers to have its nest in old woodpecker holes, but sometimes they may build nests of leaves, bark and twig. They are engaging in the sense that they use attics of actual buildings as a place to build their nests.

Northern flying squirrels mate only once in a year, and they take around 37-42 days for gestation while the Southern species takes around 40 days—both makeup to 3 babies for their litter size.

Where Can You Find Squirrels?

According to BBC, squirrels can be found on every continent on the earth except for Antarctica and Australia. You would find tree squirrels in environments with wood, the ground ones on the ground according to their names.

These ground animals may dig up borrows or an underground tunnel system where they can live. The flying squirrel is famous for living in nests or holes inside a tree. However, you can find these pests even in your home. They are known often to make their nest within the confines of a home.

A female squirrel may go into the attic of a home or even into the walls in order to conceive the baby squirrel. You can also find this pest in more urban areas like offices. In cases such as this, a pest control service is what these areas need so that the area would be habitable and harmless for humans.

Do Squirrels Come Back To The Same Nest?

One of the best features of the mother of baby squirrels is that they do not abandon their young if they are not injured or hurt. They safeguard them because of the vulnerable state that they know the newborn baby is in. The baby is born without hair and blind; this is why the mother protects the newborn even to the point of attacking humans if they sense any threat.

Although you may see a nest with a baby that looks abandoned, however, the mother is always close by. If you see this pest in your home, get pest control services because the only place squirrels are adorable is in Alvin and the Chipmunks. Real squirrels carry fleas and can harm you with their claws.

FAQs

How does a squirrel feed?

Most people assume that squirrels eat nuts and no other food. However, that is untrue. Every week, squirrels eat one pound of food which includes meat and plants.

The squirrel is an omnivorous animal that feeds on nuts, fungi, seeds, fruits and even small insects and snakes. Although they still eat nuts, however, their diet goes way beyond just that. Their diet centres around other types of food also.

How do you know if a squirrel has babies?

Babies make high-pitched noises so you can detect them by the skittering sound that you hear. Also, you might want to check the female for nipples or check from strong urine odour, especially in your attic.

Another factor you need to consider is that there is always a nest when there is a baby. So if you detect a nest, then a female squirrel has decided to keep her babies in your home.

How long do baby squirrels stay with their mother?

Mother squirrels watch over their babies for about 2-3 months or even more to help teach them survival skills and how to gather their food. Babies who have mothers to cater and nurture them have higher chances at surviving than those who have no mother.

Often, most squirrels leave their nests to look for partners for mating, especially if it is early spring or summer. However, the average time is 10 weeks, that includes weaning and nurturing until they can survive on their own.

Why do we never see baby squirrels?

The reason is that they are born naked, blind and unable to cater for themselves. That is why baby squirrels need to first stay in their nest because it is best for them in order to grow into full size. They can only venture far from their parents if they’ve grown their costs and can see clearly.

If they’ve not reached the stage of taking care of themselves, they are hidden away from human eyes in a place where only their parents can have access to them.

Conclusion

A squirrel is a member of the Sciuridae family which is a group of small-medium sized rodents. They include chipmunks, prairie dogs, marmots and the other types that have been listed earlier. Squirrels mate only two times in a year which limits the number of children that they can have compared to others.

These rodents have slender bodies, eyes that are large and bushy tails. Their length ranges in between 10-14 cm with a weight of 12-26g which places them in the category of small animals. They have between 4-5 toes on each of their paws; their thumbs are often underdeveloped which has soft pads underneath.

Squirrels have claws that are very sturdy and extremely versatile that they use for climbing and grasping things. However, this makes this pest dangerous, especially in a human environment. They cannot live in deserts or polar regions exceedingly, but they are found in every other region apart from those. It takes their little ones several months to get on their feet to care for themselves after they’ve been weaned from their mothers.

Squirrels that are grown-up live for up to 5-10 years. However, if they are kept in captivity, they can live for as long as 20 years. However, their young ones can die prematurely by falling off their nests or being abandoned by their mothers. Although they can be found in the wild, they tend to also blend well in urban areas.

However, despite the features of the squirrel, a pest is still a pest. You do not want them to disrupt your house, harm you and your family. They can transmit diseases and illnesses that can put your life at risk. That is why you need first to get the help of an all rights reserved pest control service to solve the problem.

Author Profile

Gabriel Tackett

Double major in Engineering and Geology at the University of Minnesota. Experienced shooter & hunter for over 15 years. Certified NRA officer for over 10 years working as a writer at Ballachy.com .