Wild squirrels are seemingly everywhere: in forests, in cities, in suburbs. They are native to every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Cameroon’s African pygmy squirrel is the smallest squirrel species, with a body as tiny as 2.3 inches (6 centimeters) long.
The largest squirrel is the Indian or Malabar giant squirrel, which can grow up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) long. There are even flying squirrels that glow pink under UV light. Chipmunks are actually little stripy squirrels.
All that is to say there are a lot of squirrel species out there, and a squirrel’s life expectancy depends on several factors. But is there an average life span for squirrels?
How Long Do Squirrels Live in the Wild?
In North America, we most often see Eastern gray squirrels, tree squirrels and red squirrels, which all have white bellies and bushy tails. But have you ever wondered how long these ubiquitous squirrels live?
Are you seeing a new crop of fluffy birdseed thieves every year, or are you seeing the same clever squirrels growing old and telling tales of their sunflower hauls to their baby squirrels?
Gray squirrels live an average of six years, so yes, you are likely seeing many of the same squirrels in your yard year after year. It’s not unheard of for gray squirrels to live up to 12 years as wild animals.
Red squirrels are similar, and have an average life span of five years and a top-end life expectancy of about 10 years. The male red squirrels tend to live longer than female squirrels, and only about 20 percent of young squirrels live to become adult red squirrels.
Fox squirrels live about eight to 18 years in the wild. Female fox squirrels usually live, on average, 13 years, while males tend to live about eight years. Most fox squirrels die before maturity; predators like hawks and owls kill squirrels, and newborn squirrels can be eaten by small snakes.
Do Wild Squirrels Live Longer Than Pet Squirrels?
Wild squirrels can live up to 18 years, depending on their species, environment and a handful other factors. In North America, we most often see Eastern gray squirrels, tree squirrels and red squirrels, which all have white bellies and bushy tails but slightly different average life spans. They fall into three basic types: tree squirrels, ground squirrels and flying squirrels.
All squirrels are part of the rodent family, and as is the case for many mammals, the larger the species of squirrel, the longer its average life span.
But what about pet squirrels? Do squirrels in captivity tend to live longer than wild squirrels live? Sometimes. Red squirrels can live up to eight years in captivity compared to about five years in the wild.
The average life span of a gray squirrel in captivity keeps increasing. They can live as long as 20 years as a pet compared to six years in the wild.
Fox squirrels also live longer as pets. In captivity they can live up to 18 years; that’s almost double their average life span in the wild.
Of course, not everybody loves squirrels; they really are everywhere, and they really do eat everything. But next time you see a squirrel getting into your garden or trying to eat your birdseed, remember the furry little guy is just doing normal squirrel things.
The scientific name for the squirrel family is Sciuridae, which is pronounced sigh-YUR-i-dee in American English, despite the fact that it kind of looks like the word “scurry” is hiding in there. But not to worry! A group of wild squirrels is indeed known as a scurry.
Things You Didn’t Know About Squirrels
There are some 278 species of squirrels around the world and they’re found on almost every continent. How did such a small furry animal become so ubiquitous? Read on to learn some surprising facts about squirrels.
1. That Big Bushy Tail has a Bunch of Uses
It functions as a built-in blanket in the winter and as a sunshade in the summer. The tail also helps them balance and can be used for communication. One researcher taught some squirrels on a college campus to open boxes that could contain either a walnut, a kernel of dried corn or nothing. Sometimes the boxes were locked. She videotaped the results and found that the squirrels used a long, sweeping tail movement (as opposed to the usual twitching) when they found a box with no goodies or that was locked. She isn’t sure if that tail movement was an expression of disgust or a warning to other squirrels not to waste their time. Squirrels use that same tail movement when they get into fighting mode.
2. They Practice “Deceptive Caching”
Squirrels, of course, are famous for hiding nuts as a food supply for the winter. But they also have to protect their precious cargo from other squirrels or birds (25 percent of their hoard is lost that way). So how do they do this? A biology professor at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that sometimes squirrels engage in deceptive caching. A squirrel will dig a hole and cover it up, all the while holding a nut in its teeth and not depositing it. The squirrel sometimes repeats this behavior several times. Another researcher found that when she and her students uncovered these holes, the squirrels dug subsequent holes in locations that were harder to get to. By the way, squirrels don’t uncover all the nuts they’ve buried in holes — many of those acorns and other nuts may grow into trees. Thanks, squirrels!
3. It’s Hard to Sneak Up on Them
Squirrels have very keen eyesight. Their peripheral vision is as good as their focal eyesight. So, they can see what’s above and beside them without moving their heads, making it hard to sneak up on them. Their color vision is not so great, but their pale-yellow lenses act as natural sunglasses by cutting down on sunlight glare.
4. Squirrels Were Considered Missionaries of Civility
The question of how the Eastern gray squirrel (your basic backyard creature) came to be so common in the U.S. is a fascinating one. As cities began implementing parks and gardens, urban reformers introduced squirrels to them. “Squirrels were thought to be an obvious accent to such places, for what good is the wood without its denizens?” wrote Jason Bittel in Slate. Squirrels were also seen as a resource for teaching little boys how to be kind to animals. A founding member of the Boy Scouts of America thought sending “missionary squirrels” around the world would “cure boys of their tendency toward cruelty.” Ordinary people introduced the cute squirrel to cities all over America and Europe, which welcomed them — until they didn’t.
5. They’re Also an Invasive Species
In England, the gray squirrel muscled in on the native red squirrel’s territory, contributing to its rapid decline. Scientists also found the gray squirrel carries a virus that is deadly to the red squirrel (pictured below). In the U.S. (and elsewhere), squirrels are known to peel bark off trees in search of sap, or to make homes in attics if there’s a hole in a roof through which they can enter. Once inside, they may gnaw through home wiring and insulation. While some people might view them as pests, we share some of the blame for this reputation. Squirrels thrive wherever there’s an abundant food supply. And they don’t just eat nuts — they’ll eat birds, insects, even cheeseburgers or chocolate-chip cookies if they’re handy. If you keep your home sealed (filling in cracks in the doorways and chimney), keep tree limbs cut back from the roofline and don’t leave garbage lying around, they are less likely to come inside.
January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. Project Squirrel asks citizen scientists to observe and record the number of squirrels they see in their backyards, parks or any other places.