Having a squirrel around can be great fun, these tiny animals are not only cute but they are enjoyable to watch as well.
Whether they’re running along fences, chasing each other, looking for food, burying nuts or are simply passing by, these cute and tiny creatures are always busy.
Yet even these cute animals die at some point. Squirrels die from natural and unnatural causes. If you’d like to know how squirrels die naturally then read on
Squirrels in urban areas, and in the wild, die of natural and unnatural causes. These animals die naturally as a result of parasites, bacteria, viruses, diseases, head trauma from falls, and as a result of being preyed upon by predators
Table of Contents
How do squirrels die naturally?
Parasites and bacteria:
Squirrels can be hosts to a variety of parasites and bacteria that can be fatal to them. These parasites and bacteria can include tularemia, toxoplasmosis, and Bartonella.
Squirrels can catch tularemia through bites from insects, ticks, and fleas. Tularemia is fatal to squirrels. Toxoplasmosis can be caught when a squirrel comes into contact with the fecal matter of cats.
Signs of this disease include lower anxiety levels. Bartonella is a bacterial infection that squirrels can catch through lice, ticks, and fleas.
Disease and viruses:
Wild animals, squirrels included, can carry a variety of diseases. Diseases that are fatal to squirrels include rabies, squirrel fibroma virus, and animal distemper virus.
Rabies is a more well-known virus that squirrels can carry, only a small number of squirrels carry this disease but this disease is fatal even with intense care.
Squirrel fibroma virus is also sometimes called squirrel pox, certain squirrels, like the grey squirrel, are less susceptible to catching this disease but it may still kill them.
Animal distemper virus is another deadly disease that squirrels can catch, it is highly infectious and can even spread to domestic pets including dogs
Head trauma:
Squirrels are agile and capable creatures, they spend their days climbing up and down trees but this doesn’t always end well for them.
In some cases, a squirrel may fall from a tree and experience mild to serious head trauma. If the squirrel does not get adequate care after the fall it can succumb to its injuries.
Squirrels can survive terminal velocity, as seen from squirrels surviving falling from great heights, but they can still experience internal injuries and succumb to their injuries
Predators:
Predators preying on and killing squirrels is a common occurrence. There are a variety of animals that kill and eat squirrels including foxes, hawks, rattlesnakes, weasels, harriers, bull snakes, coyotes, and eagles
Why would a squirrel suddenly die?
Hypovolemic shock:
When a squirrel is injured it rarely shows signs of distress, this lack of reaction to pain keeps predators, who are always on the lookout for weak or injured prey, away.
Squirrels can suffer blunt force trauma to the abdomen and you wouldn’t know it.
A squirrel’s internal organs are contained by a strong membrane called the fascia, if an organ is injured and bleeding, the fascia will contain the bleeding.
If the organ or the fascia begins to fail and leaks blood, the animal can develop anemia and die of hypovolemic shock, this may seem sudden but it is not
Poisoning:
Squirrels can die of poisoning if someone feeds it to them (it is illegal to poison squirrels in many states) or if the animal accidentally ingests poison or a toxic substance.
If a squirrel accidentally ingests a toxin left out for another animal, for example, rat poison left out for rats, it can die quite quickly.
How do you know if a squirrel is dying?
In some cases, noticing that a squirrel is dying, and getting it adequate treatment, will prevent the animal from dying.
You’ll know if a squirrel is dying if it is suddenly very lethargic or if it has scabs or wet discharging lesions around its mouth, ears, eyes, feet, and or genitalia.
If you notice any of this, it would be a good idea to take the animal to a vet for a check-up
Conclusion
In conclusion, squirrels can die from a variety of natural causes including diseases, bacteria, parasites, head trauma as a result of falling and being eaten by predators.
If your squirrel suddenly dies the reason behind this may have been hypovolemic shock or poisoning. Noticing that the squirrel is dying, and taking it to the vet can help prevent its death
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other squirrel related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Dead squirrel in the garden, what to do, Dead squirrel in yard meaning, Common causes of squirrel death,