How long a squirrel lives depends on the species and what environment it lives in. Newborn squirrels are vulnerable to predators and the weather, so most don’t live past their first year of life. If they do survive, they will often live somewhere between 3-15 years in the wild.
Squirrels are a type of rodent with large, bushy tails. They are part of the Sciuridae family which includes other kinds of rodents like chipmunks and prairie dogs.
Different kinds of squirrels can be found all throughout the world, and they vary based on color, size, and how they move. All squirrels are great at climbing up trees and jumping from great heights, but some can even fly — okay, they technically glide through the air — but it’s still really neat!
Altogether, there are over 200 species of squirrels. All of these squirrels are broken down to fit into three categories. They are either tree squirrels, ground squirrels, or flying squirrels.
How long does a squirrel live? That depends on what kind of squirrel it is. Different species may have a different squirrel life expectancy.
Generally, squirrels in captivity tend to live much longer lives than wild squirrels. Squirrels living in the wild rarely live more than a few years because of predation and other factors such as getting hit by a car.
What Are Squirrels?
Squirrels are a type of mammal and rodent that is common across the world, especially in North America. They have four teeth at the front of their mouth that continue growing for the duration of their lives. To keep the growth under control, squirrels need to continuously be gnawing on things like nuts.
Although there are over 200 species of squirrels, there are three basic types: ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels.
A squirrel life span depends largely on what species the squirrel is, and where it lives.
Where Do Squirrels Live?
Of course, where exactly a squirrel lives is going to depend on where in the world they can be found. However, similar types of squirrels seem to prefer the same type of habitat no matter where they can be found on the globe.
For example, tree squirrels feel safest up in high trees where they will build their nests and store their food.
Flying squirrels also make their homes up in the trees, although their home doesn’t always stay in the same location for long. Some species of flying squirrel will burrow into a tree, making a kind-of permanent nests which they will use for a longer period of time.
Other species simply create nests on branches. This allows them to leave more easily to avoid predators. They will simply rebuild a new nest elsewhere.
Ground squirrels, on the other hand, feel more comfortable on the ground. Living on the ground often makes them more vulnerable to predators, but they dig burrows into the ground to hide.
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Types Of Squirrels and Their Lifespans
1. Eurasian Red Squirrels
Eurasian red squirrels are a very cute species of squirrel that are most common throughout Eurasia.
They used to be even more common in the area, but unfortunately, their populations have been taking a hit. They are quickly being replaced by the gray squirrel which outcompetes them for food. Gray squirrels are not native to Eurasia and were introduced to the area.
These are one of the most easily recognized squirrel species because of their bright reddish-brown coat of fur. The region determines what coloration they are, with squirrels to the east having dark red, or orange fur. Squirrels closer to Russia tend to have darker gray or black fur. They are also very fluffy, and their ears are tufted at the tips.
How Long Do Tree Squirrels Live?
The winters can become extreme in the parts of Eurasia where these squirrels frequent. Because of this, it’s not very common for red squirrels to make it past a year of age. Their low survival rate simply makes it easier for gray squirrels to further take over their territory.
A staggering 75-85% of all juvenile red squirrels will die before their first year of age, succumbing to the harsh winter conditions. Even as they grow older, adult red squirrels have about a 50% chance of dying every winter.
Due to wintery conditions, red squirrels have a shorter lifespan, living for about 3-7 years in the wild. In captivity, they can live slightly longer, sometimes reaching up to 10 years of age.
Male VS Female: It is likely that females live longer than their male counterparts.
2. American Red Squirrels
American red squirrels are often referred to as pine squirrels or the chickaree. This is the species that you are most likely to see across North America.
Like their Eurasian counterpart, American red squirrels are most notable for their deep red coloration. They are about 30% smaller than gray squirrels, and they have a noticeable white ring around their eyes.
How Long Do They Live?
Unlike the other squirrels on this list, American red squirrels have an extremely high mortality rate. It may seem like the other species have this in common, but American red squirrels take it a step further.
Most American red squirrels will die before the age of one, with just about 22% of the total population making it more than one year.
In the wild, these squirrels tend to only live for about 1-3 years. In captivity, they can live to more than double their age, with some squirrels living as long as 8 years.
Males VS Females: Unlike humans and other squirrel species, male red squirrels tend to live longer than the females. The oldest one recorded lived to 10 years in the wild.
3. Fox Squirrel
Fox squirrels are the largest squirrels across North America. Their coloration is very similar to that of the eastern gray squirrel, so people frequently get them confused. Their fur is often brown or black on the top, with a light brown or orange underside. Even their tails are colorful, often taking on shades of yellow or orange.
One thing that makes the confusion even worse is where fox squirrels live. They prefer to live in wooded areas with lots of open space where they can forage for food, but this is also where eastern gray squirrels like to hide out. Also, both species will frequent more human-inhabited areas where they may have better access to food.
How Long Do They Live?
Fox squirrels live much longer than red squirrels, with most individuals living between 8-13 years in the wild. Like the red squirrel, most fox squirrels will not make it past their first year of life. In captivity, they are capable of living much longer, with the oldest recorded squirrel living for 18 years.
Male VS Female: As is usual, female fox squirrels tend to live longer than the males. Female fox squirrels have been known to live up to 13 years of age, while the average lifespan of a male is only 8 years.
4. Southern Flying Squirrel
The southern flying squirrel is only one of three kinds of flying squirrel located in North America. They are most commonly found in the eastern regions of the continent, including Canada and Mexico.
They are considered to be a much more social species than many other squirrels. People will commonly see them gathered in groups while flying or sleeping.
Flying squirrels can’t really fly, but they can glide a significant distance from the treetops. They have a membrane called the “patagium” that acts like a parachute to allow them to glide. The membrane goes from the wrists of their front legs to the ankles of their back legs. They also use their tails for stability while gliding.
How Long Do They Live?
Like the red squirrel, southern flying squirrels don’t live very long. In the wild, they typically only live for 3-5 years, if they manage to make it to maturity. However, in captivity, they can live much longer lives, with the average lifespan reaching about 10 years. The oldest captive southern flying squirrel died at the age of 18.
Male VS Female: It is likely that females have a longer lifespan than the males.
5. Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is one of the most common squirrels across North America. When most people mention a squirrel in conversation, these little critters are the ones they’re thinking of. Their bodies are a light to dark gray color with hints of medium brown. The ears and tails often have a bit of white to them.
They are found most commonly in the eastern and midwestern parts of the United States. They can be found as far north as southern Canada.
They are an invasive species in many other parts of the world, and they are the species that causes the red squirrel problems in Eurasia. They cannot be legally imported, bred, transported, or released into Europe.
How Long Do Grey Squirrels Live?
They have a longer lifespan on average than many other species of squirrels. Although most of them only live for a few years in the wild, they are capable of living up to 12 years. In captivity, they can live significantly longer, up to 20 years.
Male VS Female: Females tend to have longer lifespans than males.
6. Western Gray Squirrel
Western gray squirrels are very similar in appearance to the eastern gray squirrel. Their back is a light to dark gray color, and the underside is white. Their tail is busy and is also gray in coloration.
The main difference is where they live because the western gray squirrel is found in the western United States and into Mexico.
How Long Do They Live?
They also have a similar lifespan to the eastern gray squirrel, with a wild western gray squirrel averaging about 7-8 years of age. In captivity, they can often live to double this age, with many squirrels living up to 15 years.
Male VS Female: It is likely that the females have a longer lifespan than the males.
7. Ground Squirrels
Ground squirrels are often found in places that you wouldn’t think would be good for living. They thrive in dry environments like deserts and parks in urban locations.
A popular kind of ground squirrel is the prairie dog. You’ve likely noticed that these squirrels will stand up on their hind legs to look for danger since they won’t climb trees. Unlike most squirrels, ground squirrels will not live or even climb in trees. Instead, they have adapted to live on the ground, creating nests underground.
Not all ground squirrels are large like prairie dogs, though. Many are much smaller. They have brown to gray, fluffy coats.
How Long Do Ground Squirrels Live?
Ground squirrels are a species of squirrel with one of the shortest lifespans. They will typically only live for 2-4 years in the wild.
Male VS Female: As is typical of most species, male ground squirrels tend to have a shorter lifespan than the females. Females will average about 4 years of age, while the males tend to die around only 2 years of age.
8. Black Squirrels
Black squirrels are quite unique, especially in the United States, and people often get excited when they see a black squirrel for the first time. Their fur is so dark due to the amount of melanin found in their bodies.
However, black squirrels are not actually a different species of squirrel. They are either gray squirrels or fox squirrels. The only difference is their melanin levels which makes them appear darker than they normally would.
How Long Do They Live?
Because they are not a unique species, they will have the lifespan of whatever species they are: whether that be a western gray squirrel, eastern gray squirrel, or fox squirrel.
Male VS Female: It is likely that females have a longer lifespan than males.
9. Abert Squirrel
Abert squirrels are found in the United States, primarily throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. They like to live in ponderosa pine forests.
These squirrels are most recognizable for their fluffy, tufted ears. Their fur is gray on the dorsal side of their back, but their undersides are paler in color. Some subspecies may be brown in color rather than gray.
How Long Do They Live?
Researchers aren’t sure how long these squirrels live in the wild, however, they have fairly short lifespans in captivity. The oldest a captive squirrel is recorded to live was 7 years.
Males VS Females: It is likely that females live longer than males.
10. Douglas Squirrel
Douglas squirrels can be found in the Pacific northwest side of the United States and Canada. It is found from about northern California north to British Columbia.
These squirrels can be recognized by the bright white rings around their eyes. They are also generally covered in a light brown fur over the winter months with plenty of fluff. During the summer, they will take on more of a grayish color, but will keep the brown on their undersides.
How Long Do They Live?
These squirrels also have fairly short lifespans, only living to about 5-6 years in the wild. It is still unknown how long they can live in captivity.
Male VS Female: It is likely that the females have a longer lifespan than the males.
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Squirrel Life Cycle
The life span of a squirrel depends largely on whether a squirrel is able to survive past infancy.
A female squirrel’s gestation period lasts for about 40-44 days, and the mother will give birth to 1-9 babies. She will create her nest out of soft leaves that she stores inside a den she’s created. Usually, this den will be inside a hollow crevice inside a tree.
When the babies are born, they are very tiny, blind, and hairless. They will not open their eyes for about 28-35 days, and they won’t begin to leave the nest until about 42-49 days of age.
Just because they begin exploring outside the nest does not mean they leave their mother’s care, though. The mother will continue to care for them during this time, beginning to wean them at about 56-70 days, at which point they will leave the nest to go off on their own. Some squirrels born at the end of summer will stay with their mother for the duration of winter.
Why Do Squirrels Live Longer In Captivity?
The average lifespan of a squirrel raised in captivity is much longer than that of a wild squirrel. When a squirrel is raised in captivity, it should be free of any threats that would cause it to die early. So, when raised in captivity, squirrels have been known to live for as long as 24 years.
How long do squirrels live in the wild? In the wild, most squirrels should live for about 6-10 years. However, this lifespan is often cut much shorter because of all the dangers that squirrels experience.
They are constantly hunted by animals both on the ground and in the sky. One of their most formidable foes, however, is the car. How often do we see squirrels lying on the side of the road because they’ve been hit by a car?
Squirrels are very quick, and yet they frequently find themselves the victim of being run over by a car. Why is that?
Well, squirrels have evolved a habit of running in a way that helps them avoid predators. Rather than running in a straight line, they will zig-zag, often backtracking the way they’ve just come.
This is quite effective for evading predators — particularly birds-of-prey — but it’s extremely dangerous on a roadway.
Many people hit a squirrel while driving because squirrels are so quick, and their quickness is their own demise. Just as you believe they’ve avoided your car, they make a beeline back, not realizing the danger they’re putting themselves in.
Not only do humans kill squirrels accidentally, but they often kill them intentionally as well. Many people consider squirrels to be pests, so they will hunt them to lower their numbers. Some people will eat the meat, while others will collect the fur.
Squirrels also tend to be quite susceptible to disease which may cause them an early death. They frequently experience tooth loss so that they are unable to eat properly. Many others experience vision loss so that they are not able to properly forage for food or avoid predators.
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Why Do So Many Squirrels Die As Babies?
Baby squirrels are extremely small, helpless, and weak creatures. They are born without any hair, and similar to cats and dogs, they are born with their eyes shut and cannot see anything. What makes it worse is that it can take up to three weeks for their eyes to open. During this time, they are completely dependent on the care of their mother.
Babies are taken care of by their mothers, but the mother must frequently leave the nest to forage for food. This leaves her babies vulnerable to predators who can often easily access the nest.
Besides predators, storms will often knock baby squirrels out of their nest. If the mother is unable to find them before a predator does, the baby will die. This is assuming that the baby has not already sustained a terrible head injury from the fall.
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FAQ
How Long Do Squirrels Live In Captivity?
Squirrels can live much longer in captivity than they do in the wild because they are free from any environmental or predatory dangers. Depending on the type of squirrel, a captive squirrel can live for up to 25 years.
How Long Do Squirrels Live As Pets?
A captive squirrel and a squirrel kept as a pet are going to live about the same amount of years. Pet squirrels can live up to 25 years.
However, how long a captive or pet squirrel lives largely depends on how their humans are caring for it. Like any pet, a squirrel should receive the right kind of nutrition and care.
What do squirrels eat?
Squirrels can consume about one pound of food every week, and you want to fill their diet with healthy foods. The majority of their diet is going to be made up of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fungi. In the wild, some squirrels have even been seen consuming small snakes and bird eggs.
Just like a cat or dog, you wouldn’t want to feed a pet squirrel unhealthy foods. Try to keep its diet varied, healthy, and similar to what it would be eating in the wild.