The squirrel is a common backyard animal in North America, but what happens when it dies? While some people may believe that dead squirrels decompose, there is a process that occurs to their bodies once they have passed. The process is called rigor mortis, which causes some exciting changes to the body of a squirrel.
When people think about what happens to animals when they die, they usually think about how their bodies decompose. However, what happens to squirrels when they die?
Squirrels usually decompose or are taken over by other animals when they die. Predators or scavengers will consume a squirrel that dies of natural causes. If the squirrel dies from disease, its body can be buried or burned. Bacteria may also take over a dead squirrel, and insects may eat its body. Following death, the animal’s body will decompose.
Squirrels are small mammals that usually live in trees. They are omnivorous, meaning they consume both plants and animals. A squirrel’s body is quickly scavenged by other animals, such as birds of prey, foxes, and weasels after it dies.
Scavengers will eat the squirrel’s flesh, leaving behind its fur and bones. Because the bones are porous, they break down faster than other bones. Therefore, a squirrel’s skeleton may last only one or two years after death. In general, the life cycle of a deceased squirrel is similar to that of many other animals. The body is quickly consumed by scavengers and decomposes.
In conclusion, what happens to squirrels when they die is mainly dependent on the environment in which they die. It is common for their bodies to be scavenged by other animals if they die in the wild. If they pass in captivity, their bodies may be disposed of by humans. Life and death continue to cycle in either case.
