At the sight of the cute fellows you have certainly asked yourself, when are squirrels born. We would like to tell you something about the birth and development of the little rodents.

Twice a year squirrels are born

As a rule, the squirrels are born in the spring and summer. The first time the birth takes place between March and April. The second birth date is in the summer between May and August. The young squirrels are born by their mother in the nest or goblet. There the young are also raised for the next 4 months. The gestation period is 40 days.

What is the squirrel's nest made of?

The Squirrel goblet in most cases consists of twigs and brushwood. In nature, it is a hollow sphere with a diameter of about 50 centimeters. This is usually built very high in the trees. Not infrequently you can see the Kobel discover at heights of 5 to 10 meters.

You can also help the squirrel in your own garden. Of course, you do not need such tall trees. It is enough if you provide the squirrels with an appropriately sized spare gable. It is helpful if you lay branches, brushwood, leaves and other things near the hutch, so that the squirrel mother can arrange the hutch according to her wishes.

How many squirrels are born?

Per litter the mother gives birth to between 3 and 8 babies. Immediately after birth, she examines the little rodents and begins to clean them extensively. To do this, you need to know that each of the little rodents weighs just between 8 and 15 grams. A standard eraser weighs about the same.

What do the babies look like after birth?

The little squirrels are born both naked and blind. What you will immediately notice, in addition to the long hands, are the long fingers of the small creatures. Immediately after birth, the front legs are connected to the back legs by a skin. This disappears within a very short time. 

How do the little squirrels develop?

In the first few weeks, the mother will hardly move away from the cubs. She monitors the development of the babies very closely.

Already six days after birth, the little squirrels grow the first hairs on their heads. These then spread piece by piece over the back, so that the small rodent is completely surrounded by a dense and fluffy fur after about 2 weeks. The weight of the animals varies between 30 and 50 grams.

After about 3 weeks - 22 days to be precise - the lower incisors emerge. After 30 days the little ones open their eyes and about 10 days later the upper incisors break through the gums. This marks the end of the squirrel's basic development. Now the young squirrel weighs about 100 grams.

Protective measures of the mother

So shortly after birth, the little squirrels are still completely dependent. They have to be protected by their mother around the clock. This includes driving conspecifics away from the vicinity of the goblin.

If in the course of time it becomes too restless for the mother animal, then she brings her babies one after the other also into another Kobel.

Even when the little ones have become independent after a while, they still stay with their mother. They pass the time by playing and searching for food.

Squirrel born - mother leaves the goblet

About 4 months after the squirrels are born, the mother finally leaves the goblet. The little rodents remain in their nursery, but now have to fend for themselves. The father has long ceased to play a role in the squirrels. Immediately after birth, he is chased away by the mother. When the mother has left the den, the siblings live together for a short time. Gradually they begin to look for their own territories. The females can give birth to young squirrels themselves as early as the next year.