Life Cycle by: Emma, Meghan, and Suzanna



Born:

● The mother squirrel has her first litter between February and April.

● The mother has her second litter in the summer.

● There are usually no more than 4 squirrels in a litter.

● They weigh 6 tenths of an ounce when born.

● The baby squirrels are born blind, helpless, and are mammals

● The second litter spends the winter with it’s mother.

Older (1-12 weeks):


 * After they’re born they don’t just leave their nest, they:

● In the first week they double their weight from when they are born.

● At 3 weeks old they start growing fur.

● At 4 weeks old they open their eyes and start teething.

● The 8th week the young become more active taking trips outside.

● At 8 or 9 weeks they are normally half the size of their adult body.

● Leave nest after 10 weeks.

● Start eating solid food at 12 weeks.

Squirrels will eat almost any fruits and vegetables, and of course, nuts.

● They don’t open their eyes until after 5 weeks.

Life on Own:

● Squirrels usually leave the nest after about 12 weeks.

● Gray squirrels are constantly moving.

● When the squirrels first leave the nest, they build their summer homes and never see their mothers again.

● After that they gather nuts and build their winter homes.

They also feed on buds and flowers.

In the winter time they collect massive amounts of nuts.

● At about 12 months, the process starts over again with new young.

● An average gray squirrel will live about 20 years in captivity.

● An average gray squirrel will live 12 years in the wild.