Squirrels are a familiar sight in many backyards and parks. Understanding their reproductive habits offers insight into their life cycle and how their populations thrive. This article explores how squirrels reproduce, when their young are born, and the stages of their early development.
Understanding Squirrel Reproduction
Squirrels have babies, called kits or pups. A group of these young is called a litter. Female squirrels prepare for their offspring by building specialized nests known as dreys, often constructed high in tree branches. These dreys are intricate structures made from twigs, leaves, and other plant materials, providing a secure and insulated environment for the developing young. Squirrels may also utilize natural tree cavities or even human-made structures like attics for their nests, seeking protected spaces for their litters.
The number of young in a squirrel litter can vary, but ranges from two to four. At birth, these kits are completely dependent on their mother. The mother squirrel alone cares for the young, as males play no part in their upbringing. This dedicated maternal care is essential for the survival and early development of the newborns.
The Squirrel Breeding Seasons
Squirrels have two breeding seasons each year. The first mating period occurs from late winter to early spring, between December and February. This can result in births during early spring, around February to April. The second breeding season takes place from late spring through late summer, from June to August, leading to a second litter born in late summer or early fall, in August or September.
The timing of these breeding periods is influenced by environmental factors such as food availability and weather conditions. Ample food resources contribute to successful reproduction rates. Female squirrels are receptive for only about one day during each cycle. After mating, the gestation period for squirrels is approximately 38 to 46 days. Following this gestation, the female gives birth to her litter in the prepared drey.
Life Stages of Young Squirrels
At birth, squirrel kits are hairless, pink, blind, and deaf, weighing only about half an ounce. Their ears are sealed flat against their heads, and they are unable to regulate their own body temperature. For the first few weeks, they are entirely reliant on their mother for warmth and nourishment.
Within about five days, soft fur begins to appear around their mouths and noses, and by one week, their skin starts to show more color as fur grows in. By two weeks of age, their fur is noticeable, though still sparse. Their ears begin to open around three weeks, and their eyes open around four to five weeks after birth. Once their eyes are open, the kits start to explore their immediate surroundings.
Young squirrels begin to venture out of the nest and explore by six weeks of age. They are weaned from their mother’s milk around 10 weeks old. By 10 to 12 weeks, they are independent and ready to leave the nest and establish their own territories. While some may stay with their mother a bit longer, especially those born in late summer to prepare for winter, most are fully self-sufficient within a few months.