How Much Does A Squirrel Weigh? How Heavy Can They Get?

Squirrels commonly weigh around 1-1.5 lb (453-680 g).

Squirrels belong to the Sciuridae family. They are bushy-tailed animals found commonly all over the world.

There are almost 200 species of squirrel and they are divided into three different types.

These are ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels which are further divided into Richardson, albino, rock, antelope, spotted, gray, Albert’s, Douglas, Idaho, pygmy, eastern chipmunks, southern, Arizona gray, northern flying, Arctic ground, fox, Franklin, mountain tree, American red, white and black squirrel and some of them are related to each other.

Eastern gray squirrels, which are tree squirrels that can be spotted in North America, are medium size squirrels that are 15-20 in (38-50 cm) in length and their tail size as long as 6-9.5 in (15-24 cm) in length.

They weigh around 1-1.5 lb (0.45-0.68 kg).

Eastern chipmunks which are found in eastern North America are ground squirrels because they live underground. They weigh around 2.3–5.3 oz (66–150 g) and are 12 in (30 cm) in size including their tail size.

They are reddish-brown in color with contrasting light and dark stripes across their head, back, and tail.

If you enjoyed this article, check out why do squirrels shake their tails and why do squirrels chase each other for similar content.

How much does the average squirrel weigh?

This animal can live up to 10 years provided it has optimum living conditions. You can feed them a range of food such as seeds and nuts.

A squirrel can achieve a fully grown adult body after eight to nine months after birth. Red squirrels specifically like to eat pine seeds. In the winter season, squirrels eat mushrooms and tree bark.

Squirrels also store food for the winter especially nuts, acorns, and mushrooms. A squirrel's front teeth grow non-stop throughout its life so they are always in search of something to chew on. This animal brushes its teeth on tree bark.

How much does a five week old baby squirrel weigh?

Newborn squirrels within hours of birth weigh 0.5-0.6 oz (13–18 g) and they have pink head and bodies and are mostly hairless except for vibrissae which are present at birth.

After 7-10 days of birth, the skin starts to get darker. The lower teeth grow after 19–21 days, while the upper teeth grow after four weeks. Cheek teeth grow during week six of the baby squirrel.

Their eyes open after almost 21–42 days, and their ears open after three to four weeks. Weaning is started after seven weeks and is usually finished by week 10.

The number of offspring can range between two to eight. Baby squirrels are often known as kittens or kits and they are born blind. They completely rely on their mothers for about two or three months for their food and diet.

How heavy is the heaviest squirrel?

The Indian giant squirrel is the world's largest recorded squirrel. Its average length is 36 in (91.5 cm), average tail length is 17.7 in (45 cm), and it weighs up to 4 lb (2 kg).

The smallest squirrel, African pygmy squirrel, is around 4.7–5.5 in (12–14 cm) in length and weighs just 0.53–0.63 oz (15–18 g). This animal gets fat in the winter to stay warm.

Squirrels plant trees by mistake as during winters, they bury seeds underground and later forget about them. Eventually, they turn into plants and trees.

A squirrel can be easily found in a forest among other natural wildlife creatures and its diet usually consists of nuts, acorns, and small rodents or animals as it is quite easy to find food in their natural habitat such as forests. They prefer to live around their native wildlife neighborhood and nearby forests.

They live in every part of the world except Australia and Antarctica. A tree squirrel lives on trees or wooded areas and a ground squirrel digs burrows under the ground to live in.

Many species of squirrels hibernate during the winter to keep themselves warm. A group of squirrels can be called a dray or scurry.

A squirrel is very comfortable in its habitat and it can get very defensive about its place of living whether in forests or among humans. It can fight to defend its home, food, and younger ones from predators.

Can squirrels become obese if they eat too much?

Yes, a squirrel can become obese if it eats more than required for a long time.

The different species of squirrels eat a variety of food such as pine seeds, tree bark, berries, tree buds, and flowers. They also eat many other kinds of seeds, nuts such as acorns, hazelnuts, walnuts, and some types of fungi such as fly agaric mushrooms.

They specifically like to chew on nuts. Squirrels can also feed on insects, frogs, small rodents, and animals including other squirrels, and small birds and their eggs. Squirrels also chew on bones and antlers.

Squirrels are often predated by humans, hawks, foxes, cats, and dogs. Gray squirrels and fox squirrels usually hide their food by burying it underground in many different places, it is known as 'scatter hoarding'. Squirrels eat about 1 lb (0.5 kg) of food every week.

Did you know...

The weight of a red squirrel body can lie between 7–18 oz (200-500 g).

They have striking orange-red colored fur but it can vary from wheaten to ginger to dark brown. The weight of red squirrels depends on their wildlife habitat. Males are heavier than their females and their body mass could be more during the late fall and winter, while it is the lowest during the early summer.

Eastern gray squirrels, also known as gray squirrels, are tree squirrels whose weight can be anywhere between 14–25 oz (400-600 g). An average gray squirrel weighs about 17.6 oz (500 g) and their weight varies depending on the season. It is at its highest during the winter season.

Red squirrels can reach a length of about 9 in (23 cm). Eastern grays are larger than red squirrels. An average gray squirrel can reach a maximum length of 11.8 ft (30 cm) and its tail measures up to 10 in (25 cm) in length. Red squirrels have tails that are 8 in (20 cm) in length.

A fox squirrel is 20-30 in (51-76 cm) in length and its tail and body length measure 10-15 in (25-38 cm) each.

The entire population of red squirrels is no more than 200,000. They are mainly left in Ireland and Britain, mostly in southern Britain.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how much does a squirrel weigh, then why not take a look at when do squirrels have babies or red squirrel facts.