How big do squirrels get?

Squirrels are most familiar and most active rodents found almost everywhere. There are different sub species of squirrels depending upon their habitat and nutrition. There are flying squirrels, garden grey squirrels and brown squirrels which are famous for tree climbing. Some of them live at really high altitudes and are preyed upon by eagles and hawks. When the squirrels are found in the urban settings, they can be really annoying because these creatures not only destroy the garden but also eat up the bulbs, nuts, and fruits and also spread infestations by their droppings. However there is one advantage of the squirrels and that is these fluffy creatures add a lot to the landscape by their flurry activity. Therefore your backyard can really seem inviting and friendly by inviting the squirrels over there. Regarding the size of squirrels, they can be up to the size of a rat or even bigger. There are about 200 species of squirrels found in different parts of the world. Their habits and habitats are very much different from each other. However the squirrels are not found in Australia. With that exception these cute and naughty rodents are found almost everywhere in the world. There is no exception or anomaly so far observed in the sizes of squirrels. They are about the same sizes and weights on average.



Differences in sizes of different types of squirrels

There are some variations in the sizes of squirrels. The smallest squirrel is the African pygmy squirrel and it is of the size of about five inches. This length is recorded from nose to tail of the squirrel. With respect to large size there is only one exception and that is of the Indian giant squirrel. The size f this species of squirrel is recorded to be about three feet which makes about one meter. All the other species of squirrels are of the same average size which is equal to the flying squirrel.

General anatomy of squirrels

Generally the anatomical features of the squirrels are more or less same like those of the rats and mice. Just like mice, the squirrels have got front four teeth which keep on growing but they cannot be worn down by constant gnawing activities of squirrels. As far as scampering and gnawing activity is concerned, the tree squirrels are the most active in this regard. Moreover their leaping characteristics are also very well developed. Similarly the ground squirrels are efficient in burrowing and tunneling. These squirrels build burrows and dig tunnels because they have to spend winters over there by hibernating.

How big do squirrels get?