Squirrels are agile rodents with characteristically bushy tails. Prairie dogs, chipmunks, and marmots are all members of the Sciuridae family. According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), there are over 200 different species of squirrels.
Which can be broken down into three distinct groups: tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels.
There are various subspecies within these three major groups of squirrels, including the Albino, Mountain Tree, Antelope, Spotted.
Grey, American Red, Douglas, Fox, Pygmy, Northern Flying, Southern, Arizona Gray, Idaho, Arctic Ground, Albert’s, Franklin, Richardson, Rock, White, and Black squirrel.
Read Also:
- How Big Does a Hedgehog Get
- Who is Robin From The Hair Salon
- Accident on Water Level Road Somerset PA
Size and Weight of Squirrels
With so many species to choose from, squirrels come in a wide range of sizes. The African pygmy squirrel is the smallest squirrel species.
Depending on its species, it can reach a length of 2.8 to 5 inches (7 to 13 centimetres) and a weight of just 0.35 ounces (10 grams).
When it comes to squirrels, the Indian gigantic squirrel stands alone as the largest species in existence.
Length at maturity is around 1 metre, and weight can reach 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms). North American habitats often have grey squirrels, a kind of medium-sized squirrel.
Their whole length is between 20 and 15 inches (50.8 and 38.1 centimetres), with the tail adding another 6 to 9.5 inches (15.24 to 24.13 centimetres). They average a weight of 1.5 pounds (0.45 to 0.68 kg).
How Huge Do Squirrels Become?
Throughout their lives, squirrels will stretch to around two feet in length, or the width of a typical ruler. I’m sure you can picture that this also applies to their tail.
Species-specific variations in size exist, but most of these creatures stand little more than six inches tall at the shoulder.
Think about how big squirrels get in relation to other animals, and you could get a better picture of how big they actually are. Squirrels come in a range of sizes, but they all share the same general characteristics.
Most squirrel species weigh in at between one and two pounds, making them about the same mass as a domesticated small cat. However, there are species of squirrels that can grow to be about 12 inches in length and nearly two pounds in weight.
Larger squirrel species prefer cooler northern temperatures, whereas smaller species prefer the warmer southern regions. The answer may also change depending on whether we’re discussing ground squirrels, tree squirrels, or flying squirrels.
Ground squirrels are often larger than tree squirrels, however this varies by species. The red squirrel can be as little as four inches, but the eastern grey squirrel and the fox squirrel are much bigger.
Read Also:
- DVD Burning Software
- Are There More Eyes or Legs in The World
- Myers And Smith Obituaries Big Spring Texas
Conclusion
It’s clear from this picture that squirrels can grow to enormous proportions. They are the largest rodents found in the Americas.
The smallest squirrels (African pygmy squirrels) are roughly the size of a human thumb and can be held in one hand, while the longest are over two feet in length.
Depending on species, they can be anywhere from 12 inches to 30 centimetres long.
While most members of this subspecies reach a height of around 17 inches, there is a wide range in sizes among them.
There is also considerable range in weight, with some weighing as little as three pounds and others possibly reaching eleven kilos (24 lbs.).
