Even if they look innocent, squirrels may be somewhat aggressive creatures. There are people who may be fooled by their bushy and furry tails, and they put themselves at risk. In this case the squirrels could bite or attack. When it comes to handling a squirrel, whether it is an adult or a baby squirrel, you need to be prepared. You have to understand more about the squirrel bites and learn what you are able to do about them.



The squirrel is a rodent, and as a rodent it has four large incisors. Two are found at the top of the mouth while two are found at the bottom. The incisors will keep growing, and this is why the squirrels like to gnaw on many things. The incisors are very sharp and they are able to enter into a thick substance. When it is not possible to use their front teeth, the squirrels may use their paws, which are equipped with sharp claws.

You should not expect the squirrels to attack you if there is no reason to do so. Know that the squirrels have a good sense of smell and vision. When they see a threat, they can get into the flight or fight mode. When a squirrel is cornered by a pet or a human being, it will bite when it tries to defend itself. You should not attempt to pick up a squirrel if you are not wearing gloves since it may use its sharp incisors or claws against you. However, even if this is so, the number of bites from a squirrel is still low.

Another possibility when the squirrels may bite you is when you feed them from your hands and they bite you accidently. When you want to feed a squirrel from your hands, you have to put on leather gloves and you can place the seeds and nuts on a horizontal palm.

When squirrels are defending themselves, they will bite to save themselves. There are cases where squirrels can leap forward and they will attack humans. However, when the squirrel bites, there is no risk of rabies infection, but they may have some bacteria and parasites which may cause an infection when the bite wounds are not treated properly. Even if squirrels may not be aggressive, it is not advised to keep them as pets.

Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page.