How to Tell The Age of Baby Squirrels

Whether you’re simply a squirrel enthusiast, or you’ve found an unfortunate baby who is in need of help, this is the essential guide to help you to determine how old the squirrel pup is.

Pinkies

This is the newborn stage for squirrels, lasting for the first 5 days of life. They are hairless, their eyes and ears are still closed, and their tiny fingers are still joined together into a single paw. At about 5 days old, you might see some soft fuzz that will form around the nose and mouth.

1–2 Weeks Old

At this point, the squirrel may be looking slightly grayish. This is when their fur first starts growing in, coating the body in a soft fuzz. The ears will begin moving away from the head, and little whiskers will begin to grow out from the face. The nails are also growing in at this stage. At this point, the eyes are still closed, but there will be a slit visible where the eyes will eventually open. They don’t have teeth yet, but this is hard to see unless they yawn or open their mouths. You might see a white bump in the center of the top gums where the teeth are getting ready to cut through.

3–4 Weeks Old

The squirrel’s teeth will begin to sprout at this stage, visible during feeding and yawning. They will be very small, but very sharp, although a baby squirrel will be unlikely to cause any serious damage at this point. They may try to nibble a finger at this point, but they’re unlikely to puncture skin unless the baby is terrified and panicking.

As for the fur, their tail and body will continue to grow a very fine coat. Under the tail and the legs will remain hairless for a little longer, with a very light coat on the belly.

A note to squirrel caretakers: When the teeth begin to cut through the gums, it is normal to see a little bit of blood, whether it is from the teeth actively cutting through, or accidentally catching themselves in the gums with their brand new teeth. They may refuse to eat at this point because of the soreness in their mouth. This will pass within 24 hours as the gums heal and the baby regains it’s appetite.

5 Weeks Old

Around the 4 week point, the eyes will begin to open, giving the squirrel their first views of the world. They won’t be able to see much right away, mostly responding to motion. Squirrels are naturally red/green colorblind, so they’re unlikely to respond to color. Much like human babies, they will initially only see shadow and motion.

The baby’s top teeth will begin to emerge at this stage. They will stay small at this point, and just like the lower teeth, they aren’t likely to puncture through skin if they attempt to nibble you.

You’ll also find that the baby will start using their legs a little more. They will begin to explore more, and wobble around a bit on all four legs, crawling about with their tail sticking straight back from their body. They’ll still spend quite a lot of time sleeping, rather than playing and exploring.

6–7 Weeks Old

The baby squirrel will start to seem a little bit more like a full-grown squirrel at this stage. They’ll begin sitting back on their hind legs, and their tail will begin to curl up the back in what we normally envision when we think of a squirrel. Their time spent sleeping during the day will become significantly less as they learn to climb and explore.

8–10 Weeks Old

This is the last stage of visible development for aging a baby squirrel. They’ll look like a tiny version of the adult squirrel that they will be. The squirrel will have it’s teeth in, and a full, silky coat that will readily keep their temperature regulated.