A lot of animals die quickly, and it may be due to some little reason behind it. This little reason is sufficient for the animals to lose their lives, but do squirrels just drop dead?
Yes, squirrels just drop dead, and many people have witnessed it. Although most researchers have failed to pinpoint the reason behind it, there are suggested reasons. The most common is head trauma.
In today’s article, we will look at all the reasons that could lead to a squirrel’s death and why they are found dead in the yards. Moreover, we will explore all the measures that can be taken to avoid their sudden death.
Why Would A Squirrel Suddenly Die?
It is intriguing to know all the possibilities as to why a squirrel would die suddenly. Here are a few reasons why:
Head trauma
It can be one of the leading causes of a squirrel’s sudden death. While jumping from one tree to another, some squirrels fall to their death. This usually happens when the squirrels suffer from a concussion and cannot recover from it.
The frequency of head trauma in baby squirrels is more than the adult squirrels as they know how to land themselves in a stable manner.
Getting Hit By A Car
Sometimes, the squirrels get hit by a car, and as a result, they cannot survive the sudden impact. It is one of the leading reasons you can see dead squirrels on the road. For squirrel populations, the most significant source of mortality in car accidents.
Frequency Of Natural Death
A squirrel’s life expectancy is not that long; as a result, they die naturally while in hiding or in their nests. The body can either be consumed by a predator in the vicinity or be left there to decay.
Cause Of Dead Squirrels In Your Yard
There can be many causes behind a squirrel’s death. It may be due to poisoning, pet predation, disease, and electric shock.
However, these reasons can be restricted to your yard and may be the leading cause of a squirrel’s death.
Infection By Viruses
Animal Distemper Virus
It is highly infectious and can often be contracted by squirrels. Its symptoms include respiratory and gastrointestinal illness. A squirrel usually gets this by the fecal matter of a sick animal or through body fluids.
Squirrel Fibroma Virus
It is also more commonly known as squirrel pox. If you see the squirrel having tumor-like protrusions, this leads to the animal’s death. Grey squirrels are less affected by squirrel pox than red squirrels.
Infection By Bacteria And Parasites
Toxoplasmosis
It is a parasitic infection that affects the neurological behavior of squirrels. The squirrels also pick up this infection through fecal matter. As a result, the squirrel dies.
Bartonella
It is an example of a bacterial infection. Lice, ticks as fleas carry it. It is hard for a squirrel to recover from this type of infection.
Poison
If you are coming across dead squirrels in your yard, it may be due to poison. While squirrels are exploring around, there are chances that they may come in contact with garden pests’ poison. Even a little amount is sufficient to kill squirrels.
Electric Shock
As squirrels are good climbers, it also keeps them in danger. A squirrel can misstep on a wire and die as a result of experiencing an electric shock.
Can Squirrels Act Dead?
Yes, just like possums, squirrels can also act dead. It has been observed that whenever a squirrel takes a fall, it remains very still for about 30 seconds or so.
After the pause, a squirrel gets up on its own and resumes leaping without giving any second thought. This means that the squirrel was trying to be dead to escape predators and potential attackers.
If you leave the squirrel alone for thirty minutes and it remains stiff even after that, there is a reason for concern. It might be dead due to the fall, and you need to spring into action to look into the situation.
However, possums have certain biological mechanisms activated when they are afraid. That is not the case with squirrels, for they do not act dead when they are scared.
Do Squirrels Fall To Their Death?
Yes, a squirrel can fall to its death and suffer head trauma. A squirrel can suffer from a concussion just like us humans and experience sudden death.
Squirrels are very light and small animals. They have agile bodies that are stretchable and have puffy tails that spread like a parachute during a freefall. Due to these characteristics, a squirrel can survive velocity impacts on its body.
However, if the fall is sudden or a predator has deliberately knocked off the squirrel, it calls fall to its death and lies lifeless.
Do Squirrels Move After They Die?
No, the squirrels do not move after they die. They lay as if it is lifeless on the ground. Depending on your locality, you can call the local animal service and ask if they can get rid of the squirrel’s dead bodies for you.
If they do not respond positively, you can also contact the sanitation services in charge and get rid of the dead body for you. They often do it for free. You can also contact professional wildlife removal services; they can be your last resort.
On the other hand, if you try relocating a squirrel after trapping it, it may not be suitable for the squirrel as they are unfamiliar with the new area and die out quickly due to its new surroundings.
Why Do I Keep Seeing Dead Squirrels?
A person may see dead squirrels as a sign of attaining balance in life. People often see dead squirrels and try to understand their hidden message. Many people take it as a positive sign to restore balance in their life.
Others find out ways to utilize their energy more positively in a day. Seeing dead squirrels is not a horrifying thing but rather a good one. It can make your life a better version than it was yesterday.
Conclusion
It may be alarming to see the rise in dead squirrel bodies and your yard is changed into a squirrel graveyard, but there are many reasons behind this. Pet predation, disease prevalence, and poisoning can all make a squirrel dead.
You may get rid of the dead bodies by calling out the appropriate authorities. If you can get to the bottom of the real reason for their death, perhaps you can take proper measures to control it and prevent it from happening again and again.
