Asia boasts several species of squirrel with a high potential for long life. Indian giant squirrels, Prevost’s squirrels, and red and white flying squirrels can all live to be in their twenties.
Indian Giant Squirrel
The oldest recorded age for an Indian giant squirrel is 20 years.1 They are native to the country of India and live in forest habitats. Indian giant squirrels have brown topcoats, beige bellies, a light-colored patch on top of their heads, and beautiful long tails several times longer than their bodies. About half their time is devoted to feeding and the other half to resting.2
Prevost’s Squirrel
Prevost’s squirrels can live for up to 21 years in captivity.1 Their markings include distinctive orange, white, and black stripes, and like all tree squirrels, they live in forests. They’re native to the southeastern part of Asia.3
Red and White Flying Squirrel
Similar to Prevost’s squirrels, red and white flying squirrels can also live to be 21 years old.1 They have white faces and reddish-brown bodies. Weighing in at over 3 pounds, red and white flying squirrels are some of the largest squirrels in the world.4
References
1 Gorbunova, V., Bozzella, M., and Seluanov, A. (2008). Rodents for comparative aging studies: from mice to beavers. American Aging Association, 30: 111-119. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2527635/
2 Baskaran, N., Venkatesan, S., Mani, J., Srivastava, S., & Desai, A. (2011). Some aspects of the ecology of the Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxleben, 1777) in the tropical forests of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, southern India and their conservation implications. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 3(7): 1899-1908. Retrieved from http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/1204/2178
3 Smithsonian National Zoological Park. (n.d.). Prevost’s Squirrel. Retrieved from https://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/SmallMammals/fact-prevost.cfm
4 Lee, P. (1998). Body size comparison of two giant flying squirrel species in Taiwan. Acta Zoologica Taiwanica, 9(1): 51-57. Retrieved from http://zoology.lifescience.ntu.edu.tw/azt/Z-9-1/Z-9-1-6.PDF