4/19/2023 0 Comments Squirrel predatorsMother squirrels do care for their babies, but they can only do so much while they also try and gather food, provide shelter, and keep themselves alive. They’re hairless and blind, and it takes them about 3 weeks to even open their eyes. Baby squirrels are frail – When squirrels are just born, they’re extremely frail and helpless.Why is it that wild squirrels have their lives cut so short? Many of them are great scavengers and act smart, so why do they have such a hard time staying alive for long? So, realistically, a wild squirrel is only expected to live for about a year, maybe less. Wild squirrels tend to have about half of the lifespan of a captive squirrel, and that’s if they manage to outlive their childhood.Ī large majority of squirrels never actually make it out of infancy. Captive Squirrel LifespansĪs you can see, there is quite a large difference in the lifespans between wild and captive squirrels. There’s no differences in this squirrel besides its coloration, so its lifespan will be that of either a Grey Squirrel or a Fox Squirrel.ĭomestic Lifespan: ~20 years Wild vs. Instead, they’re either Grey Squirrels or Fox Squirrels with increased levels of melanin. These small squirrels have been observed living very social lives, often times gliding and sleeping in groups.ĭomestic Lifespan: ~5 years Black Squirrelīlack squirrels aren’t actually a unique squirrel species. This is one of three flying squirrel species found in North America and is widely distributed throughout the eastern half of the country, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico. In some places of the world, this squirrel is considered an invasive species.Īt birth, their life expectancy is only 1-2 years, but that increases once they mature.ĭomestic Lifespan: ~20 years Southern Flying Squirrel It’s present throughout the easter and midwestern United States and in numerous Canadian regions. In fact, this is the species that most people think of when they picture a squirrel. Grey Squirrels, also known as Eastern Gray Squirrels, are some of the most prominent squirrels in North America. They’re fairly standard-looking and actually encompass three sub-species of squirrel.ĭomestic Lifespan: ~15 years Grey Squirrel This species of squirrel is very common along the United States’ west coast and Mexico. 75-85% of juveniles die within their first winter, and each subsequent winter has a 50% mortality rate.ĭomestic Lifespan: ~10 years Western Gray Squirrel Over the years, their population has declined due to the introduction of Grey Squirrels into their natural habitat.ĭue to the harshness of the environments that they inhabit, juvenile mortality is extreme. This curious-looking squirrel is a species that’s common throughout Eurasia. This species is most abundant in open forests with little vegetation underneath, but they’re notably tolerant of humans and gladly live in crowded urban areas.ĭomestic Lifespan: ~18 years Red Squirrel Interestingly, males have very slightly longer lifespans than females - a trend that’s usually reversed in most animals, let alone squirrels.įox Squirrels are the largest squirrels in North America, and are frequently confused for several other species that share a similar appearance and coloration. This species of squirrel experiences very high levels of mortality early on, with only 22% surviving past one year of age. American Red SquirrelĪlso known as the Pine Squirrel, North American Red Squirrel, and Chickaree, the American Red Squirrel is widely distributed across North America. To better understand how long squirrels live for, it helps to see the individual lifespan of multiple different types of squirrels.īelow we’ve highlighted 7 of some of the most common squirrel species - species that you’ll likely encounter or already have plenty of experience with. Therefore, with the amount of variation that exists, a single accurate age range is difficult to construct beyond “1 to 25 years”. While premature deaths absolutely lower the average lifespan, the species and geographic location of the squirrel play huge parts in their lifespan. There are a myriad of factors that determine how long a squirrel lives for. Captive squirrels, however, regularly live for 15 years, sometimes reaching around 25! Most wild squirrels don’t live beyond 1 year, but they can potentially live for more than 10 years. The lifespan of a squirrel can vary greatly. Captive Squirrel Lifespans How Long Do Squirrels Live? Examples of Different Squirrel Lifespans.
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