This charming Fox Squirrel behavior took place just down the street from my house.
Wikipedia has this to say about Fox Squirrels:
In captivity, eastern fox squirrels have been known to live 18 years, but in the wild most fox squirrels die before they become adults. Their maximum life expectancy is typically 12.6 years for females and 8.6 years for males. Because of overhunting and the destruction of mature forests, many subspecies of fox squirrel (the Delmarva fox squirrel for example) are endangered. Another major cause of fox squirrel population decline is mange mite (Cnemidoptes sp.) along with severe winter weather.