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Besides other things, a squirrel uses its tail as a means of communication…

 

 

In the second half of February city people noticed that squirrels scampered around in groups in the parks. The first heat period of the ”cone kings” had started. When it ended the males turned back to their habitats, and so the squirrel mothers become sole caretakers of their children. The last few years have been good years for cones here and squirrels have again become visible in forests.

 

The gestation time of the female lasts about 38 days. The nest material needs tidying and renewal before giving birth.  As we can see the shedding of the winter coat is still in progress and she can use the loose fur for lining the nest.

 

Early spring litters generally have up to three (seldom more) young, weighing about 10 grams. They are born naked and blind. The beginning of a fur coat is noticeable only after about a week. A month passes before their eyes open.

Squirrel