Squirrel Life Cycle
How Long Do Squirrels Live?
The average lifespan of a squirrel is 5-6 years. The lifespan of a squirrel can vary drastically due to their vulnerability to predators and high mortality rates for squirrels one year or younger. They can live up to 15 years in the wild.
Female squirrels each year typically have two litters that contain an average of two to four young but can carry up to eight. Litters are usually born in late winter and midsummer. Pregnancy lasts up to two months, and the young are born hairless and weigh around 0.5 to 0.65 ounces. Squirrels are weaned from the mother after about two months, and adulthood is reached in nine months.
Squirrels are prolific breeders, which can quickly lead from a minor squirrel infestation to a large one. If you have a squirrel infestation, it’s important to act as quickly as possible. Contact the experts at Critter Control to safely and humanely remove the nuisance squirrels and repair any damage to your property.
The Average Life Span of a Grey Squirrel
Eastern grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are mid-sized creatures that hail from North America, specifically in eastern portions of the United States, as their name communicates. These tree squirrels also have been brought to areas outside of North America, namely Great Britain, Italy and South Africa. They are commonly referred to simply as “grey squirrels.” Other names for them are “migratory squirrel” and “cat squirrel.”
About Grey Squirrels
These diurnal rodents adjust easily to new types of environments, although they are especially common in woodlands and forests. They also frequently make appearances in places with high human presences — think urban parks and yards of residences. Grey squirrels generally den within trees, but also build nests out of foliage in the absence of any suitable hollows. Their population is high and increasing, notes the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species’ 2008 analysis. As a result of those strengths, they are “least concern” animals with regard to possible endangerment. They bear litters one or two times annually.
Average Life Span in the Wild
The average life span of grey squirrels is extremely brief — generally only between 11 and 12 months, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Despite this brevity in life expectancy, some free roaming grey squirrels have actually surpassed 10 years in age.
In Captivity
A single female grey squirrel that resided in a captive environment greatly outlived the typical life span of her species, making it to over 20 years old, reports the University of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web.
Survival Considerations
Although grey squirrels are hardy mammals, many different things can affect how long they survive. Some of these things include the harshness of the winter months and sustenance availability — their extremely diverse meal staples include beechnuts, acorns, bugs, grapes, bird eggs, birds, grass and amphibians. Grey squirrels sometimes even display cannibalistic tendencies, feeding on members of their own species. Predators, too, can affect grey squirrel life spans for the worse. Some of the critters’ biggest predator threats are coyotes, red foxes, weasels, grey wolves, hawks and bobcats. Lastly, parasitic infections can negatively affect their survival, as they can sometimes trigger extensive loss of fur — a serious wintertime hazard.