Looking for early warblers several days ago, I noticed movement in our neighbor's large walnut tree; this turned out to be an eastern gray squirrel attempting to nudge her youngsters from the nest cavity. On the first evening, one of the toddlers did emerge onto the adjacent limb, making short excursions and then returning to the den for reassurance. By the second evening, three of the litter mates were scampering twenty feet or more from the cavity and, by last evening, the fourth and final sibling had joined them. Once she had them entertained, the exhausted mother would find a limb beyond their immediate range and sprawl out to get some rest.
After a gestation period of six weeks, these young squirrels were likely born in early March and will not be fully weaned for another three weeks. By mid summer, their mother will breed once again, giving birth to a second litter in mid-late August. The current litter mates will be independent by that time and, like the adults, will consume a mixed diet of insects, bird eggs, mushrooms, berries, bulbs and a variety of nuts, storing some of the larder and remaining active through the winter.
Enjoying their first spring, these young squirrels will have an average life span of six years. Disease, predation (hawks, owls, fox, raccoons, cats, snakes), human hunting and automobiles are the primary causes of death.
