How long do Richardsons ground squirrels live?
Mortality in the first year of life is high, so the majority of individuals never survive to reproductive age. Furthermore, although males and females are born in about equal numbers, fewer males than females survive the first year of life. Typically only 5-15% of young males and 35-45% of young females survive to adulthood. Adult males experience high mortality associated with the mating season and rarely live to the age of 3 years. Some female Richardson’s ground squirrels live to 4 years and a very few females survive for 5 or 6 years. For further information, see Survival & Longevity.
