Squirrels are cute, cuddly little creatures that we humans love to adore and watch. But, finding one still on the ground isn’t pleasant.
To help prevent these deaths, it’s good to know the 5 most common squirrel deaths.
In terms of squirrel deaths, the most common causes of death are disease, poisons, predation, falls, and cars.
You can do something about some of these, but others are completely out of your hands.
#1. Diseases and Infections.
Diseases and infections lead to deaths of many squirrels each year.
Animal Distemper Virus
One of the most common disease in squirrels is animal distemper virus. This disease is known to have wiped out entire grey squirrel colonies in America.
There is no cure for animal distemper virus. It can cause gastrointestinal, neurologic and respiratory illness.
Bartonella
Bartonella is an infection carried through fleas, lice, and ticks. It is commonly seen in cats and is accepted as cat-scratch disease.
Bartonella is a bacteria, known as cat scratch disease (because infected cats give it to their owners), through fleas, ticks, and lice. Typical symptoms are inflammation of the eyes, mouth, and gums, sneezing, fever, and chronic vomiting and diarrhea.
Rabies
Rabies is a serious fatal disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system. It is typically spread in the saliva of a rabid animal like a cat, raccoon, dog, or squirrel.
The signs of rabies can include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, general aching, sudden weakness and malaise. As the disease progresses, symptoms worsen, like paralysis, convulsions, and breathing problems.
Rabies is almost 100 percent fatal once signs and symptoms develop.
There is no cure for rabies, but it can be prevented through immunizations. If you believe you have been exposed to rabies, contact medical care immediately.
Squirrel Pox Virus
Squirrel pox is spread through bites from infected animals or through bites from mosquitos and fleas. Squirrel pox can cause blindness, neurological damage and death.
It also spreads the pox versions; causing lumpy growths on the skins cells of squirrels or on the head or face. Eventually the lump bursts and releases what seemed like fluid and crusted over to form a thick scab.
If the squirrel pox spreads to the brain of the squirrel, it can lead to death.
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is neurological disease and is usually a death sentence for a squirrel if it has it. Bacteria from cats, from feces of an infected animal will transfer to the squirrel if it had contaminated drinking or food.
#2. Poisons.
There are many different types of poisons that can kill a squirrel depending upon the way the poison is administered and what kind of poison it is.
- Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) – ARs rapid internal bleeding. Once the body does not have blood flow, death. In addition, Vitamin K1 can help, but only if the poison is still in the system.
- Cholecalciferol poisons (vitamin D3 and rodenticides) – vitamin D and its derivatives like build up in the squirrel’s body and destroys the kidneys, heart and lungs.
- Heavy metal poisons – Heavy metals causes dead quickly after ingestion and/or before death an impaired liver function leading liver damage and death.
- Chemical poisons – These poisons may have affect several organs in a short period of time, or take hours or days to kill you. It depends on the poison.
- Nutritional poisons – These poisons are part of a complete and balanced diets for rodents and have harmful levels of zink phosphide, strychnine salts, and anticoagluant agents.
- Insecticides – Insecticides that, either consumed or absorbed from skin, cause tremors, seizures and death.
- Rodenticides – Rodenticides are agents that cause internal bleeding if ingested; or, convulsions if swallowed; or, diarrhea or vomiting that leads to dehydration even up to two weeks later, then shock or organ failure and death, but they may be treated with Vitamin K1.
- Metaldehyde – Metaldehyde (a chemical compound) is a consumer product found in slug and snail baits, that cause seizures and asphyxiation while the squirrel struggles to breathe.
- Zinc phosphate – Zinc phosphide ingestion causes loss of appetite = weight loss, body pain or abdominal, vomiting; then kidney failure and death.
#3. Predators.
Squirrels are considered prey, and there are many various animals that would love to make them their next meal.
Pets
Both dogs and cats are natural predators. They will chase squirrels until eventually catching them, and if the squirrel does not get away soon enough, your pet will have fast food… a quick meal…
Animals
It is not just domestic animals, the wildlife also. Squirrels have countless predators as they have to always be careful of coyotes, raccoons, weasels, badgers, bobcats, and any predator species larger than a squirrel and/or faster than a squirrel.
Squirrels will mostly climb trees to escape their domestic animal predators, but many of their wildlife predators also climb trees, so squirrels have to always be careful wherever they go.
Birds
As if this is not enough, squirrels must also be careful of what is flying above them so they have this additional risk with birds. Eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls will also prey on squirrels.
#4. Falling.
Squirrels love to climb trees and buildings. Their tail and body are designed to be better at falling, and surviving falls, but there are situations that do not go perfectly.
If a squirrel doesn’t have time to get final positioning before hitting the ground, or if a squirrel has any prior injury before the fall, that particular squirrel doesn’t land very well at all.
#5. Vehicles.
Vehicles are one of the top killers of squirrels in a variety of ways.
There is the obvious to can get seriously hurt or killed by be run over on the road. Squirrels can be fast and sometimes they don’t always think about or notice traffic signals.
All the squirrel has to do is take one bad step and dart right Infront of an oncoming car. When this happens all the human driver can do is slam on the brakes, which may not stop the inevitable.
Squirrels are notoriously recognized to hide under the hood or crawl into the wheel wells. If you try to start your vehicle, without checking, it can run the risk of causing harm or spreading injury to the squirrel.
How to Reduce Squirrel Deaths?
The best way to prevent squirrel deaths is not using poisons or insecticides in your backyard. If you are noticing an increase in squirrel deaths in your area, but are not using poisons or insecticides, talk to your neighbors.
You can also prevent squirrel deaths by keeping your pets inside your home and away from them. If you need to let your dog outside for a bathroom break, check to see if any squirrels are on the ground reachable by your dog.
If you see any, try to scare them away before letting your dog outside.
Be aware of the area in your vehicle. There will be times you can’t avoid hitting a squirrel on the road.
The road could be in poor condition or there is traffic so you can’t swerve or slam on the brakes, but you can keep an eye on upcoming stretches of road to avoid any preventable squirrel deaths.
You should also check your car before starting it.
Small animals like squirrels are unlikely to hide in your car except in cold winter months, so if you see paw prints in the snow around your car, check if the squirrel left before driving off.
What To Do With a Dead Squirrel?
If you encounter a dead squirrel on the side of the road, the most appropriate option is to leave it alone. The wild has its ways of animal disposal and in a matter of days or hours, scavengers such as vultures, raccoons, crows and coyotes will clean the dead animal off of the road without any effort on your part!
If you found a dead squirrel in your backyard this is a different situation altogether! You do not want to invite more animals into your yard, and you certainly do not want dead rodents in the play area for kids!
Here are the steps to safely dispose of a dead squirrel:
- Contact your local Department of Environmental Protection or Department of Environmental Conservation for guidance on what to do with the dead animal. They may want to retrieve the animal for testing purposes, or they may want you to dispose of the animal.
- If you get permission to dispose of the dead animal, gather up some gloves, a shovel and a garbage bag.
- Put on the gloves and use the shovel to pick up the dead squirrel into the garbage bag. Tie up the garbage bag and remove your gloves and add them to your garbage.
- Wash Your Hands. Yes, you need to wash your hands!! There are a variety of illnesses that you could get from a dead animal and washing your hands even after you have worn gloves will lessen the risk of acquiring any diseases or illness from the animal.
In Summary
There you have it, five of the most common reasons that squirrels die and what to do if you come across a dead squirrel in your backyard. Hopefully this gives you some insight on how to best keep your backyard buddies safe!
And, just a reminder, if you find a dead squirrel in your backyard, please be sure to call your local Department of Environmental Protection or Department of Environmental Conservation office before tossing the little guy into your garbage can!