Chapter 3: Places to Raise Young

We squirrels have about 2 - 5 babies at a time. Well, the females do. We guys don't have a lot to do with that. Don’t blame me — it’s a species thing! But those girls need a place to raise all those little guys. So again, the nest comes in handy. The females do all the baby care, so I don't know a lot about that. Only what I hear through the grapevine.

I hear that the babies are born naked (yuck!) and pink, and their eyes are closed. They weigh about half an ounce and are 2 inches long. Little buggers! Females like to have a nest all by themselves when they're nursing their babies. Sometimes females will change nests if they think their nest has been disturbed by another animal. When she moves, she'll pick up the babies and carry them by their tummies. The babies wrap their legs around mom's head. It's a pretty funny sight, but awfully cute.

Squirrel moms feed their babies really healthy milk, because they need to grow fast. Squirrel babies get milk for 8 - 12 weeks. They start growing fur around a week after they're born, and their eyes open around 5 weeks.

Babies stay with their mom until they're done nursing, and then they'll strike out on their own. But some like to stick around. They end up forming social groups, like playgroups, and help each other build nests, defend their areas, and stay warm when it's cold out.