Will a mother squirrel retrieve her babies if they fell out of the nest?

Question

Will a mother squirrel retrieve her babies if they fell out of the nest?

Answer 1

yes if you put them back in the nest or back in the tree (in a box) the mother will come back.  I had the same thing happen last month to me.  I put the baby in a small box with a  warm water bottle and the mother came back within an hour.

Answer 2

To tell you the truth, I do not know. But I imagine that she would on account of it is her offspring and she is a mammal.

Answer 3

Yes, a mother squirrel will retrieve her young, but it will make it easier for her if you do try to get them up in the tree in a box or maybe hang them in an open pillow case from the tree.

Please keep an eye on them while waiting for their mother. They are a target for prey animals like raccoons, hawks and cats. If the mother doesn't come back within 3-6 hours, it is time to take on some responsibility of your own...... if you agree that that is what you would want to do morally.

Some people think that it is moral to just let 'nature take its course', so you may be comfortable leaving them there and forgetting about it. I would understand either way you chose to do it - again, whatever you are comfortable with.

I have a pet squirrel that I sort of stuck myself with. I was capable of saving her life, but I was and am not capable of releasing her. She, too, fell out of a tree.

WHY THEY COULD HAVE FALLEN OUT OF THE TREE :

Mine fell out of the tree after the mother had been killed by a car in the road, and she and her siblings were weak and starving. In that case, there is no point waiting for mother.

Did you have a storm, recently? If that is so, the nest may be too damaged for the mother to have a home to bring them back to.

I also found out recently that animals will push their babies out of the nest if a snake is present. I got a baby bird back into the nest, and its parents proceeded to feed it. I came back about an hour later to take pictures of the good deed that I had done only to find a snake eating it.

Be prepared, as this is a little gross:

http://pics.livejournal.com/aero/pic/000...

WHAT TO DO IF MOM DOESN'T COME BACK :

If the mother does not come back within 3-6 hours, the babies need to eat. They have very high metabolisms and cannot go too long without her milk before dehydrating.

So, try to see if the mother comes back. If it doesn't, call a wildlife rehabber. I don't know what area you are in, or I would research that for you. If it is legal in your area, and you feel inclined to do so, you could rehab them yourself.

A lot of people think that only licensed rehabbers should do this, but I think that it is a great learning experience for people. With the right amount of research and resources, it can be done by the average person and quite rewarding.

Do consider the age of the squirrels, if you think you may take them on yourself. Pinkies can be tricky to rehab for even licensed rehabbers, but if they are furred and their eyes are open, it isn't too big of a deal. It is time consuming, though.

SOME USEFUL TOOLS FOR RAISING BABY SQUIRRELS :

http://www.animaladvocates.us/squirrelma...

(This is the best manual that I have found on squirrel care.)

http://community.livejournal.com/animal_...

(What I wrote about properly caring for and feeding her.)

FUN AND FUNNY LINKS ABOUT MY SQUIRREL :

http://aero.livejournal.com/96666.html

(Preparing her for bed in my son's closet.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcLNyWnQ5...

(A video of me kissing her.)

http://aero.livejournal.com/97649.html

(My cat and the squirrel hanging out.)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pn4OpGBDYOA

(A video of me feeding her a bottle.)

http://aero.livejournal.com/97092.html

(Her eating a dried up frog she found in the sliding doors.)

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE IF YOU TAKE ON THE BABIES :

Whatever you do, do not feed the squirrel nuts and other hard foods too soon. Even if they have their front teeth, it does not mean that they have their molars. Feed them soft fruits, first, just like you would a baby. They can choke on foods that they are unable to chew.

Please feel free to contact me. My Squirrelly has been part of my life for almost three years now, and I am more than happy to help anyone out with advice on how to care for them.

Answer 4

the only way that a mother squirrel wiil come get them is if they are screeming which most likely they won't if they don't have eyes. they don't know that they are out of the nest if htey can't see and mama squirrels can not count so she will not know if one is missing . Your best bet is to try to put it back in the nest if you can ( if its not hurt that is, if it is hurt t*t will die in the wild even with mama) i know this because my bf works for  tree service , we nock down lots of nest and i have had lots of squirrels.