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How Long Is a Squirrel Pregnant? 38 to 46 Days by Species

Gray squirrels carry for about 44 days, reds for 38 to 40, and fox squirrels 44 to 45. The two breeding seasons, litter sizes, and what follows birth.

By Zakaria 3 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A red squirrel sitting on a mossy branch under a leafy canopy
Photo: terbe_rezso, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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A squirrel is pregnant for about six weeks, not six months. Gray squirrels carry roughly 44 days; red squirrels 38 to 40. That short gestation is the whole reason two litters a year is normal.

Gestation by species

speciesgestationtypical litter
Eastern gray squirrelabout 44 days2–4
Fox squirrel44–45 days2–4
American red squirrel38–40 days3–5
Southern flying squirrelabout 40 days2–4
Ground squirrels (varies widely)23–30 days5–10

Tree squirrels cluster tightly around six weeks. Ground squirrels are a different group with shorter gestation and larger litters — worth knowing if you are reading a figure without the species attached.

The two breeding seasons

Most of the range runs two cycles:

seasonmatingbirthsyoung emerge
WinterDecember–FebruaryFebruary–MarchApril–May
SummerMay–JuneJune–AugustAugust–October

Timing shifts with latitude and with the previous autumn’s nut crop. After a poor mast year many females skip the second litter, and in a good year a higher proportion of yearlings breed at all. That is why squirrel numbers swing so much from year to year.

What happens after birth

agestage
0 daysblind, hairless, pink, about 1 in long, roughly 15 g
2–3 weeksfine fur appears; ears open
4 weekseyes open
5–6 weeksfully furred, moving within the nest
7–8 weeksfirst ventures outside the nest
10 weeksweaned, eating solid food
12 weekseffectively independent

The ten to twelve weeks of nest-rearing is far longer than the pregnancy itself, and it is the period people usually mean when they say a squirrel has “been pregnant for months.”

Why this matters for roof and attic work

A female with a nest will not abandon unweaned young. Sealing an entry point between roughly February and April, or August and October, risks walling in a litter. The humane window is after the young have emerged — which is also when exclusion actually holds.

Litter size, and what moves it

  • First-time mothers have smaller litters than experienced ones
  • A good autumn nut crop produces larger litters the following spring
  • Red squirrels average slightly larger litters than grays
  • Survival is the real variable. Of a litter of four, often one or two reach their first autumn

How you can tell a female is nursing

Not from the belly — you cannot read pregnancy in a squirrel at distance. The visible signs are after birth:

  • Prominent nipples, obvious when the squirrel stretches or climbs
  • Constant feeding, usually close to one tree
  • Carrying nesting material repeatedly to the same spot
  • Short trips — a nursing female rarely goes far from the nest
  • Carrying a kit clamped against her belly, if she is moving the litter

If you find a kit on the ground, the mother will usually retrieve it. Leaving it warm, in a box at the base of the tree, for a couple of hours is standard advice before contacting a licensed rehabilitator — and contacting one is the right next step, since raising a squirrel requires a permit in most places and the wrong milk kills them.

Common questions

How long is a squirrel pregnant?

Between 38 and 46 days depending on species — about six weeks, not months. Eastern gray squirrels carry roughly 44 days, fox squirrels 44 to 45, American red squirrels 38 to 40, and flying squirrels around 40. That short gestation is why squirrels can fit two litters into a single year, with a late-winter breeding season and a midsummer one.

How many months is a squirrel pregnant?

Just over one and a half months. The gestation is 38 to 46 days, so a squirrel is never pregnant for the two or three months people often assume. The longer period that looks like pregnancy from outside is the ten to twelve weeks the young spend in the nest afterwards, when the mother is visibly heavy-bodied and feeding constantly.

How many babies does a squirrel have?

Two to four is typical for a gray squirrel, with a range of one to eight. First-time mothers usually have smaller litters than experienced ones, and litters are larger when food has been plentiful — a good acorn year produces bigger litters the following spring. Not all of them survive to leave the nest; mortality in the first few months is high.

When do squirrels breed?

Twice a year in most of the range. The first season runs from roughly December to February with young born February to March, and the second from May to June with young born June to August. The exact timing shifts with latitude and with how good the previous autumn's nut crop was; in a poor year many females skip the second litter entirely.

What do newborn squirrels look like?

Hairless, pink, blind and about an inch long, weighing roughly 15 grams. Eyes open at around four weeks, fur is complete by about five, and they first leave the nest at seven to eight weeks. They are weaned around ten weeks and usually independent by twelve, though many stay near the mother's territory for some weeks after that.

Does the male squirrel help raise the young?

No. Squirrels are not pair-bonding and the male takes no part after mating. The female builds and maintains the nest, nurses, and moves the litter if the nest is disturbed — carrying each kit separately, clamped to her belly. A nest with one adult and several young is the normal arrangement, not a sign that something has happened to a partner.

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