03/23/2025
Spring is just around the corner and its time for baby season!
The Fox tree squirrel has two breeding cycles here in California; early spring (February through April) and again in the fall (August through November).
The little ones fall or get pushed out of their nests high up in the trees, and if mom doesn't notice or find them and take them back up, they will die from exposure or predation by other animals. If you find a baby and mom is not around, it is almost impossible to get it back in the nest as the nests are relatively very high up. If it is able to run around, you can guide it back up the tree. Unfortunately, most of the babies that we find are so very young that they don't have very much hair, and most of the time their eyes are still closed. If this is the case, it is best to gently pick it up, get it warm and take it to your local rehabber or Pasadena Humane Society for care.
Wild rabbits: Please remember that if a baby rabbit is found in a shallow cup-like grass nest on the ground that is where it is SUPPOSED to be! If you're concerned that it has been abandoned and the baby is warm and not crying out, place a few sprigs of grass over the baby and the nest and leave the area. Return in an hour and if the sprigs have been disturbed then mom has been there! Mother rabbits don't usually sit with their babies as they will draw predators, but they do check on their babies off and on throughout the day. If the baby is cold or the grass has not been disturbed, then the baby will need your help, especially if dogs, cats or large birds (like crows, ravens or hawks) are in the area. Baby rabbits are EXTREMELY hard to hand raise and have a very low success rate, so we need to try our best to let mom raise them herself as much as is safely possible.
Baby Birds: If found out of the nest and the nest can be located, returning the baby bird to the nest is best. If it is fully feathered but too young to fly, but able to flutter, it is called a "fledgling". If it can be returned to the nest or the home tree and placed on a branch, the parents will find it and continue to care for it. Again, if any predators are in the area, it is best for you to take care of it. If it is a baby with little or no feathers it is a nestling, and will need to be picked up and warmed as soon as possible and taken to a local rehabber or humane society.
Raccoons and Baby Opossums: Baby raccoons are found in people's yards, attics and crawl spaces, old sheds and garages. Mom will find a dark, quiet place to have her kits and if left undisturbed, will move them to another nest in about 5 weeks.
Now is the time to check and make sure all of the openings to your attics and crawl spaces are secure and you have screening across your chimney. Breeding season is usually from January thru March, and typically babies will start showing up in March and April, but as early as February and as late as September! If the mother loses her first litter due to sickness or humans chasing her away, she will have a second litter that same season.
If you find a baby that may have been abandoned and needs help, wear thick gloves, pick it up and place it in a box with a blanket. Keep it warm and get it to a rehabber right away. They are extremely cute when they are little but remember that they are a wild animal and definitely do not make good pets! Five little fingers, opposable thumbs, and the curiosity of 10 cats, all spell out T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!!
Raccoons are (as are opossums) very beneficial to the urban environment. They eat carrion, bugs, grubs, snails, and fallen fruit. They are omnivores (meaning they eat both meat and vegetation). Here in Southern California they do not hibernate but they slow down in the winter months. They can carry the Rabies virus but the more common virus they carry here in Southern California is the Canine Distemper virus and Parvo. They can also get both canine and feline viruses. So it's a good idea to make sure any pets that go outside are current on their vaccines.
Raccoons and Opossums are also known to raid chicken coops, bird cages and rabbit hutches or runs in yards. Make sure your pets are brought inside at dusk and at night or secured in a safe cage by dusk.
Whatever baby wildlife you may find, keep the rescue warm and quiet, contained in a proper container. Do not offer any type of food until checking with a rehabber (giving the wrong type of food or at the wrong temperature can possibly cause death or severe bloat).
Water can be offered only if the animal is able to drink on its own or if under the direction of a rehabber (can possibly aspirate).
Click below for a rehabber list for different types of found baby wildlife.
Exotic Animal Veterinary Center is a full service, exotics only veterinary hospital
