What Is a Squirrel’s Mating Habits, When Do They Give Birth, and How Does It Raise Its Young?

Female squirrels, or sows as widely known, may give 2 litters of young in a year if food is bountiful and when other aspects are not too adversative. The litter size can vary from 1 to 6, but is normally between 2 and 4. December to January and from May through June offer the two major breeding periods with some slight amount of breeding happening throughout the year! However, some pre-adults born from the winter breeding period may procreate a litter on their first summers, typically only adults and yearlings breed.

How do they mate?
Boars or male squirrels, have their testicles in their bodies through the non-breeding seasons. The boar’s testicles enlarge then become exposed at the onset of a breeding season. Numerous males customarily find a sow just prior to her entering the mating situation. She then releases a scent that invites males who will pursue the sow for a number of days before she is set to breed. The dominant male of the region will exert dominance over the rest making the others leave gradually searching for other prospects. The boar and sows will undergo courtship until she goes into estrus.

Pregnancy and birth
After 44 days, the litter is born. February of the winter season host the first litters and those of summer breeding period are born in June. At birth, a baby weighs about half an ounce. At this time, the ears and eyes are completely closed and they have no teeth. On the third week, the ears open and on the fifth, the eyes open. It then grows an inch per week up to week 10. The seventh week is the onset of weaning, the kittens can eat some leaves and buds at this time however, much of their diet relies on milk.

Introduction to solid food
The first trips out of the nest provide the kitten with a chance to eat solid feeds and learn what is edible. They follow their mother around to learn their environments and learn where to get food or hide from predators. They also learn how to create their lodgings. Sometimes the nests become infested with:

• Fleas
• Mites
• Ticks
• Bugs and
• Other insects

Pest control is achieved through other insects and birds that eat these parasites. During the summer, the litters are abandoned by their mother to breed again.