When it comes to human women, the unspoken rule is not to ask whether they are pregnant unless you are 100% sure the answer will be yes. Since you cannot ask a squirrel the same question, how can you know when it is pregnant or just extra fluffy? Here are some tips from the experts at squirrel removal in Madison for knowing how to tell when a squirrel is pregnant.
Check Your Calendar
The first place to look for signs of squirrel pregnancy is your wall calendar. Eastern gray squirrels have two mating seasons that happen at the same time each year. So if the month is March, April, June, July, or August, then chances are good that a female squirrel in your yard is pregnant, will soon become pregnant, or has recently given birth.
Squirrel behavior in Madison is predictable during mating season, so paying attention to how squirrels act can alert you to the onset of these times of the year. The most obvious behavior to watch for is males chasing females around the yard. Once the chases taper off, it is likely that most females in a community are all pregnant and will remain in this condition for the next 38 to 46 days.
Size Up Her Belly
Squirrel babies start out as minute embryos but each grows to weigh up to 15 grams before birth. All these squirming little ones cause a female’s belly to protrude so much that it might even drag the ground as she walks. When sitting upright, you may notice her belly touching the branch where she rests.
Even more diagnostic than tummy size is the shape of what protrudes from a pregnant squirrel’s midsection. If something inside does not appear to be bulging out, the squirrel may simply be overweight. However, if the lump calls to mind a small apple, then tiny babies are probably the culprits. If she appears to have swallowed an entire Bradford pear without chewing it, then she is probably very close to her due date.
Just like people, male and female squirrels both have nipples. The difference is that male nipples are extremely small and not noticeable. Females can have a litter of up to four babies so have a total of eight nipples to nurse them all at the same time.
A female’s nipples are present all year but if you can count them from a distance, she is probably pregnant or has already become a mother. Just like in humans, pregnancy hormones cause a squirrel’s breast tissues to grow and make the nipples protrude mor+e than at other times of the year. Once she begins nursing her babies, the nipples elongate further and lose their surrounding hair.
Call Skedaddle To Remove Pregnant Squirrels
If you have noticed shredded insulation in your attic or seen squirrels gnawing on wooden beams, a pregnant female may be busy preparing a nest for her new family. Because squirrels can be pregnant and/or have young babies for such a large percentage of the year, you run the risk of hurting them whenever you try to eliminate them on your own. The professionals at Skedaddle understand a squirrel’s life cycle and know how to humanely remove their families at all stages of life. Contact us today to discuss the squirrels at your house and learn how we can help prevent them from entering in the first place.
