1 September β 14 November
the coastal calendar, unshifted
Everywhere, but visible at dusk on field edges, olive terraces and town outskirts.
One litter a year, and the timing barely moves: cubs are underground for six weeks and above ground by mid-May almost regardless of the weather. Autumn dispersal is when most road casualties happen β young animals crossing ground they have never seen.
photos, sightings and recordings, off this site
where this species is on the list
| Phase | When | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| courting | 20 December β 31 January | 43 days | Song, display, fighting, scent-marking β pairs forming or reaffirming. The screaming heard on winter nights is this, not an animal in distress. |
| pregnant | 1 February β 19 March | 47 days | Pregnant. Nothing to see from outside, which is why the dates matter. |
| raising young | 20 March β 14 May | 56 days | Dependent young in the nest, den or burrow, being fed. |
| young out of the den | 15 May β 31 August | 109 days | Young out of the nest or den, but still fed and followed by the adults. |
| young dispersing | 1 September β 14 November | 75 days | Young leaving for good, looking for a territory of their own. |
| going about the year | 15 November β 19 December | 35 days | Feeding, holding territory, doing nothing the calendar singles out. |