2013

Baby Animals Growing Up in Thickets, Caves and Dens

Mammals, whose offspring are helpless at birth, build dens before giving birth. Raccoon dogs are true cave dwellers – they build their maternity dens and nurseries underground. Female raccoon dogs give birth to six or seven cubs per year, in separate cases – up to 16 baby raccoon dogs. Cubs are born helpless, weighing only 89 grams, weak, deaf and blind.

Baby foxes are also born underground – in various caves abandoned by badgers or dug by foxes themselves. Female foxes bear four to six kits at a time, in some cases – more. Each kit weighs around 90 grams. Female wolves prepare cosy dens well before giving birth to their young – in trenches beneath fallen trees or caves built by other animals. Female wolves give birth to four to six pups at a time weighing 400 grams on average.

Female badgers bear two to three (sometimes more) cubs in underground dens - complicated labyrinths of caves. Minks and otters bring their young into this world in caves near water bodies. Their babies, just like the offspring of other ermine, are small, weak, helpless, furless, deaf and blind. Up to three baby otters are usually born at a time. Sometimes, there can be two or even five pups. Minks give birth to four to five cubs. Female martens, in order to give birth to three to four kits, build dens in tree cavities, old nests or beneath roots.

Weasels bear four to seven small kits. They take care of them selflessly until mid-summer, when they drive away their offspring, preparing to gestate for the second time.

Lynx babies are born in forest thickets, in well-hidden dens covered by moss. Their dens are usually located in uninhibited badger or fox caves, large tree hollows or under roots. Female lynxes give birth to two to three (sometimes four) blind cubs.

Dens are also built by squirrels, hedgehogs and mouse-like rodents. Female squirrels give birth to four to five helpless baby squirrels. Nevertheless, they grow up and develop quickly. When female squirrels are done taking care of their young, they rush to bear another set during the same season. Female hedgehogs give birth to four to six hoglets weighing around 12 grams each.

Mouse-like rodents, especially those on the menu of other animals, are the most active mammals when it comes to breeding, since they are tasked by nature with providing many species with food. Most mouse-like rodents give birth three to four times per season, bearing four to six offspring. Even the largest ones – muskrats – give birth to six to seven offspring two times per season.

Among Latvia’s small mammals, bats are not very productive – none of their species in Latvia give birth to more than two offspring per season.

Most of animals with undeveloped offspring relocate them, if necessary, by picking them up by their heads, waists or backs and taking them to safer locations. This is commonly practiced by most predatory mammals, some rodents and shrews. Well-developed offspring usually follow on their own. Contrary to popular belief, only few animal mothers are prepared to risk their lives to protect their offspring from people. This is only logical. There is no point in matriarchs sacrificing themselves, since their young will perish without them anyway. If they survive, they can bear more offspring.