The advice on this website is meant to be information that you can use at your own discretion. Please call us if you still have questions or have any other concerns. View the full disclaimer. If you feed the squirrel, only give it pedialyte. Is it sick, disabled or injured? Is it a stunned adult?
If the baby is healthy, don’t kidnap it!
Making it possible for Mom to get her baby back is the very best thing that you can do. Baby squirrels fall out of trees all of the time – whether they are learning to climb, playing with siblings, or just hit with an unexpected brisk wind. If alive and healthy, Mom will most definitely try to retrieve her baby if her baby is warm and healthy, regardless of whether or not you have touched it.
- Contain the Baby: Put the baby in a small box or basket with a t-shirt or towel. Make sure that the baby cannot climb out.
- Keep the Baby Warm: Mom won’t take back a cold baby because she will think it is sick or dying. • Fill a water bottle with warm water, cover it with a sock and place it near the baby (propped so that it doesn’t roll onto the baby). Refill with warm water every few hours. • Place a hot wet washcloth in a ziploc bag and place it under a tshirt under the baby. Just make sure it’s not too hot or you can easily burn a baby.
- Put the Container in a Tree: If there is not any danger of dogs or cats disturbing the babies, you can leave the box at the base of the tree where they fell (or as close as possible). Otherwise, use rope or string or wire to tie the box to the tree. If you can wedge it in the crotch of two branches, even better. It doesn’t have to be perfect because unlike birds, squirrels can carry their babies in their mouths and move them. They will take the babies one by one to one of their backup nests. If their tree has been cut down completely, put them in the closest tree, on a nearby tall post, on top of anything 8-10 feet tall. Another option is to put the baby in a hanging basket on the tree.
- Leave the Immediate Area: Get away from the area but stay close enough to keep an eye on them. Wait 4-6 hours in good weather or until dark, whichever comes first. If the baby is found late at night or in hard rain, you can take the baby inside, and keep it warm, then try to reunite it in the morning when it’s clear. Mom won’t approach her babies if there are people or animals around. Keep people away.
- If Mom Doesn’t Show Up: it’s time to take action. Perhaps mom was killed, sick or there is something wrong with the baby that you just can’t see. Contact us at 904-779-5569.
Squirrel Facts
- The Grey Squirrel is the most common squirrel in North America. It’s habit of gathering and storing food for the winter has allowed the species to survive for more than 35 million years.
- Baby Squirrels: Baby squirrels weigh approximately one ounce at birth and are only about an inch long. They do not have hair or teeth and are virtually blind for six to eight weeks.
- Diet: Most squirrels eat nuts, seeds, grain and fruit — nuts being their favorite.
- Squirrels Do Not Hibernate: A common misconception about squirrels is that they hibernate during the winter. While true that squirrels are rarely seen during extreme cold, this is because they remain near their nest where it is warm.
- Cleanliness: An interesting fact about squirrels is that the adult male squirrel is the cleanest member of the rodent family But it should also be said that the male does not play a role in raising the young. This may explain why they have more time for cleanliness. ,
