Baby Squirrel Care
Baby Squirrel Age Chart: How Old Is It, Week by Week
Found a baby squirrel and not sure how old it is? Match it to the stages below — eyes, fur, teeth, and size tell you almost everything. Knowing the age is the first step to getting it the right help.
Found one right now? Don't feed it and don't give it water — the wrong food or formula can kill a baby squirrel fast. Keep it warm and quiet, then contact a licensed wildlife rehabber. Use the age chart below to describe it accurately when you call. Full steps are at the bottom of this page.
This baby squirrel age chart uses real photos of each stage of a squirrel's growth, so you can match your squirrel to the pictures and pin down its age in minutes. Baby squirrels change dramatically week to week, and the four things that give the age away are eyes (sealed shut until about four weeks), fur (none at birth, full coat by four to five weeks), teeth, and size and behavior. Find the photo that matches yours, then read the cues to confirm.
The Week-by-Week Chart
Compare your squirrel to the closest stage, then check the cues underneath to confirm.
Photo: CritterAid Wildlife Rescue
Newborn · 0–3 days
Pink & hairless
- Eyes: sealed shut
- Fur: none — bright pink, see-through skin
- Size: about an inch long, smaller than your thumb
- Behavior: can't move much, wriggles, no teeth
Photo: CritterAid Wildlife Rescue
About 1 week
Skin darkening
- Eyes: still sealed shut
- Fur: still bare, but skin darkens where fur will come in; whisker dots appear
- Size: a little longer, still very small and helpless
- Behavior: squirms more, still no visible teeth
Photo: CritterAid Wildlife Rescue
About 2 weeks
First fuzz
- Eyes: still closed
- Fur: fine short fuzz starting along the back
- Teeth: tiny lower front teeth may be breaking through
- Behavior: more wriggly, starting to look squirrel-shaped
Photo: CritterAid Wildlife Rescue
About 3 weeks
Coat filling in
- Eyes: still closed (this is the big one — fur but closed eyes = ~3 weeks)
- Fur: short fur covering most of the body
- Teeth: lower front teeth in
- Behavior: more active, thin tail starting
Photo: CritterAid Wildlife Rescue
About 4–5 weeks
Eyes open
- Eyes: open (eyes generally open around 4 weeks)
- Fur: full coat; tail beginning to fluff
- Teeth: upper front teeth coming in
- Behavior: alert, moving around, grasping
Photo: CritterAid Wildlife Rescue
About 6–8 weeks
Miniature adult
- Eyes: open and bright
- Fur: full coat, tail getting bushy
- Behavior: climbing, exploring, beginning to nibble solid food and wean
Ages are approximate and vary a little by species (gray, fox, red) and litter. The eyes-open milestone around four weeks is the most reliable anchor. When in doubt, a licensed rehabber can confirm the age from a photo in seconds.
📷 All baby squirrel photos generously shared by CritterAid Wildlife Rescue, a 501(c)(3) wildlife rescue in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and used with permission. If these little ones moved you, consider supporting their work.
I Found a Baby Squirrel — What Do I Do?
The right first moves, in order. The goal is to keep it stable and get it to a pro fast.
- Don't feed it or give water — call a rehabber first. Cow's milk, formula, and plain water can kill a baby squirrel or cause fatal aspiration. Feeding is a rehabber's job. If you genuinely cannot reach one tonight, our complete baby squirrel care guide covers emergency feeding safely — but call first.
- Warm it up. A cold baby can't digest or recover. Place it in a small box on a soft cloth over a heating pad set to low (half the box on the pad so it can move off the heat), or a sock filled with uncooked rice warmed in the microwave.
- Keep it quiet and dark. No handling, no pets, no kids passing it around. Stress alone can kill them.
- Check if it's truly orphaned first. Mothers often retrieve fallen babies. If it's uninjured and warm, you can give the mom a few hours to return before stepping in (a rehabber will walk you through this).
- Contact a licensed wildlife rehabber. Search "wildlife rehabber near me," call your state DNR or a nearby nature center, or use a directory like AnimalHelpNow. Describe the squirrel using the age cues above so they can advise.
Once you've reached a rehabber — or while you're arranging help — our complete baby squirrel care guide covers what comes next, and our free wildlife guides cover every other species you might find on your land.
While you wait for the rehabber
Keep It Warm, Contained and Quiet
Three things cover every step above. A cold baby squirrel cannot digest, cannot recover, and will not survive the night — warmth is the one thing that matters before help arrives.
1 — Warmth
Microwaveable Heat Disk
Holds heat up to 10 hours with no cord and no auto-shutoff. Wrap it in a towel and set it under half the box, so the squirrel can move off if it gets too warm.
Never use a pad that shuts off on its own — a kit that chills overnight will not be alive in the morning.
Check price on Amazon2 — Containment
Small Ventilated Carrier
A hard-sided carrier keeps the squirrel dark, quiet and secure, and it's what you'll hand to the rehabber. A cardboard box with air holes works in a pinch — the carrier just travels better.
Keep the door shut. Even a very young squirrel can climb out of an open box.
Check price on Amazon3 — Bedding
Plain Fleece — No Loops
Fleece has no loops for tiny claws to catch in. Towels, terry cloth and knitted fabric all snag toes and can cost a squirrel a foot before morning.
Never use a towel, washcloth or anything with a loose weave.
Check price on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate, Private Lands Wildlife earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Your purchase helps support our 30-acre Michigan wildlife habitat.
Now that you know how old it is: a squirrel's age changes everything about whether it needs help and what it can eat — our complete baby squirrel care guide covers feeding, formula and what comes next. Once they're grown, you can learn where a family actually lives in our guide to the squirrel nest, what they'll be foraging for in what squirrels eat, or give them a permanent home with our free squirrel house plans.