Baby Wildlife to Discover This Spring in the Lowcountry

Learn when the region’s mammals are born, where they live and how they grow in this thorough spring wildlife guide.

Story by Bailey Gilliam

Spring in the Lowcountry is about more than azaleas and longer days. It is the season when marsh grass rustles with hidden movement, burrows wake beneath sandy soil, and a new generation of wild neighbors enters the world. Most arrive unseen, but if you know where to look, spring reveals one of the region’s most remarkable transformations: baby season. And chances are, some of them are already closer than you think. Based on information from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, this guide follows the region’s spring mammal babies, from opossum joeys no bigger than a honeybee to spotted fawns resting motionless in backyard grass, offering a closer look at when they are born, where they live and how they grow.

Armadillo pups

If you spot fresh digging in sandy soil this spring, a mother armadillo may already be raising her young nearby. In the pine flatwoods and sandy soils of the Lowcountry, nine-banded armadillos give birth in March to one of the most unusual litters in the animal world. The nine-banded is the only armadillo species found in the United States. Females always produce four identical quadruplets from a single fertilized egg that splits into four embryos sharing one placenta. Born weighing just a few ounces, the pups have soft shells that gradually harden as their armor develops. They remain hidden in burrows for two to three months before venturing out to forage alongside their mother.

Beaver kits

On creeks and ponds, spring often brings an increase in splashes and small wakes behind swimming adults. Beaver kits arrive in May and June, usually in litters of three or four. Already furred at birth and capable swimmers within 24 hours, the young still spend their early weeks safely inside the family lodge. They nurse for six to eight weeks and remain with their parents for nearly two years, learning how to build dams and shape wetlands that define many Lowcountry waterways.

Bat pups

That faint chirping or fluttering in an attic during late spring may signal bat nursery season. Pupping season in South Carolina runs from May through July, with most of the Lowcountry’s bat species giving birth in May or June. Born hairless, blind and pink- skinned, pups cling to their mothers for warmth before being left in nursery roosts while she hunts insects. They typically learn to fly within three to five weeks and become independent by late summer. Wildlife experts advise against sealing attic openings during this period, as flightless pups could be trapped inside.

Bobcat kittens

Most people never see bobcat kittens, but spring is when they are there. Hidden in moss-lined dens inside thick brush or hollow logs, litters of two to four kittens are born after a roughly two-month gestation. Blind at birth, their eyes open around 10 days, and by four weeks they begin exploring cautiously. Raised solely by their mother, they learn to stalk and hunt through summer and are typically independent by fall.

Coyote pups

If nighttime howling sounds louder or more frequent in spring, it may be coming from a den full of growing pups. Coyotes mate in late winter, with litters of about six born in April or May. Born blind and weighing less than a pound, pups begin exploring outside the den after three to four weeks. Unlike many predators, both parents help feed and train them. By fall, many young coyotes begin dispersing to establish their own territories.

Fawns

Each spring on Hilton Head Island wildlife officials receive countless calls from residents worried they have found an abandoned fawn. In almost every case, the deer is exactly where it should be. White-tailed fawns are born from late May through early June. On Hilton Head they belong to the distinct subspecies Odocoileus virginianus hiltonensis, found only here. Does usually give birth to twins, and for the first two to three weeks the spotted newborns rely on stillness as their primary defense. They lie motionless in grass, pine straw or backyard landscaping while their mother feeds nearby and returns periodically to nurse them. By three to four weeks they begin following her, and within a couple of months they are fully weaned

Gray fox kits

In wooded edges and maritime forests, gray fox kits arrive in April or May inside dens hidden in hollow logs or dense thickets. Weighing only a few ounces at birth, their eyes open around 10 days, and they begin venturing outside after about a month. Unlike many wild canines, gray fox parents typically share duties, bringing food and teaching hunting skills throughout summer.

Groundhog pups

Though less commonly noticed along the immediate coast, groundhogs still inhabit fields, roadside banks and rural clearings across the region. After breeding in early spring, females give birth to litters of two to six pups. Born blind and hairless, the young are weaned by early summer and soon leave the burrow system, which may stretch dozens of feet underground.

Manatee calves

When Lowcountry waters warm above 68 degrees, manatees begin appearing in tidal creeks, rivers and marinas, sometimes accompanied by calves. After a year-long gestation, females typically give birth to a single calf about four feet long and weighing around 60 pounds. Within minutes the calf can swim and soon nurses under water beside its mother. Mothers raise their young for up to two years, teaching migration routes and feeding areas along the coast.

Mink kits

Secretive and rarely seen, minks nevertheless raise their young each spring along freshwater marshes and shaded creek banks. Females typically produce three or four kits, each weighing only a few grams at birth. Blind and dependent at first, they begin swimming by six to eight weeks and soon practice hunting while staying close to their mother.

Mole pups

Those fresh soil mounds appearing in lawns each spring may signal a nearby mole nursery. After breeding in late winter, females give birth to litters of two to seven pups in underground chambers lined with dry vegetation. The blind, hairless young develop quickly, opening their eyes at about three weeks and dispersing roughly a month after birth.

Opossum joeys

Few mammals arrive quite as dramatically as opossums. After a gestation of just 11 to 13 days, females give birth to litters that may exceed 20 joeys, each tiny, pink and no larger than a honeybee. The newborns crawl into the mother’s pouch, where they remain attached for nearly two months. Later they often ride on her back while she forages through neighborhoods and wooded areas. Because breeding season increases road crossings, wildlife officials advise checking deceased opossum for surviving joeys. If any living joeys are found, contact a licensed rehabilitator.

Rabbit kits

A shallow patch of flattened grass in a yard may actually hide a rabbit nest. Eastern cottontails give birth in small grass-lined depressions, typically producing four to eight kits. Marsh rabbits, common in wetlands, also breed frequently and build woven grass nests. Both species’ young develop quickly and leave the nest within weeks, relying on camouflage and stillness to survive.

Raccoon kits

Spring attic noises often turn out to be raccoon families. After winter breeding, females give birth to two to four kits that remain in the den for about three months. Blind and deaf at birth but already showing their signature mask, the kits gradually begin exploring outside with their mother, learning feeding routes before separating in fall.

Red fox kits

Red fox kits, usually born in litters of four to eight, spend their early weeks hidden in dens dug into sandy banks or wooded edges. Both parents help raise them, first feeding regurgitated food and later bringing live prey so the young can practice hunting. By five weeks they begin exploring outside the den and remain with their parents through summer.

River otter pups

One of the most beloved sights in Lowcountry lagoons and tidal creeks is a family of river otters, and spring is when their pups begin to appear. Usually born in late winter or early spring in dens along creek banks, litters typically include two to four pups. Born blind and helpless, they begin swimming at about two months old, often riding on their mother’s back at first. Playful wrestling, sliding and chasing behaviors help them develop the coordination needed for life in the water.

Squirrel kits

High above the ground in tree cavities or leafy nests, squirrels are already raising their spring litters. Born hairless and blind, the tiny kits remain in the nest for several weeks before venturing out. By about three months they begin living independently, becoming the energetic backyard squirrels familiar across the Lowcountry.

Skunk kits

Striped skunks give birth in May to litters often numbering five to eight kits. Blind at birth but already furred, they open their eyes
around three weeks and stay with their fiercely protective mother through summer, learning to forage before dispersing in fall.