Baby squirrels are born in the spring, without fur. If you happen to find or rescue a baby squirrel, you may want to know its gender. Determining this just by looking at the rodent can be a little tricky because there is no difference between male and female squirrels. To find out the sex of a squirrel, you will need to know how to handle a baby squirrel and what to look for.
Put on animal handling gloves that are resistant to bites, cuts and punctures. According to the Little Friends Wildlife Center website, baby squirrels start getting their teeth, which are very sharp, when they are between three and six weeks old. The gloves will also protect you from any diseases and parasites that the baby squirrels might be carrying.
Hold the baby squirrel by placing your forefinger and thumb around its neck. Hold its foreleg between your forefinger and middle finger of your other hand as you support its weight in this hand also. Avoid holding the squirrel by its tail since this can cause its skin to strip off.
Turn the squirrel so it is facing you with its belly up. Look towards the bottom where its tail starts. You will notice two small holes; the back one is the anus and the one in the front is the squirrel's genitalia. If there is hardly any separation between the two holes, your squirrel is a female. If there is a notable space between the two holes, your squirrel is a male. The space will become the area where the scrotum sac lies.
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Photo Credits
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baby squirrels in a cemertery image by PHOTOFLY from Fotolia.com
Writer Bio
Kimberly Caines is a well traveled model, writer and licensed physical fitness trainer who was first published in 1997. Her work has appeared in the Dutch newspaper "De Overschiese Krant" and on various websites. Caines holds a degree in journalism from Mercurius College in Holland and is writing her first novel.
