Squirrels are perfectly adapted animals that thrive in their environment. They’re found across the United States and all over the world. With so many different environments to be adapted to, squirrels vary in shape and size. Here are some of the world’s biggest squirrels.
Indian Giant Squirrel
As the name suggests, the Indian giant squirrel is native to India and is one of the largest squirrels in the world. They can Weigh around 3.3–4.4 pounds, but in some rare cases, they can grow to be over 6 pounds! They thrive in the tropical and subtropical forests of India.
Malayan Giant Squirrel
The Malayan giant squirrel is a near-threatened species that weigh between 2.2 and 4.4 pounds. They roam the Forested regions in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Fox Squirrel
Fox squirrels love spending time in trees and are most active during midday. They can weigh between 1.1 and 2.2 pounds and are found in forests, urban parks, and woodlands across the eastern and central United States.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel weighs around 0.88 to 1.32 pounds and lives in mixed forests, urban areas, and suburbs throughout the eastern United States and parts of Canada. They play an essential part in regenerating forests.
Western Gray Squirrel
The western gray squirrel, sometimes called the California gray squirrel, weighs 0.88 to 1.1 pounds. It can be found in oak woodlands, pine forests, and mixed forests in the western United States and even Mexico.
Abert’s Squirrel
Abert’s squirrel, also known as the tasseled-ear squirrel, is a tree squirrel endemic to the United States. It Weighs around 1–1.3 pounds and can also be found in the Ponderosa pine forests in the southwestern United States, including Arizona and New Mexico.
Douglas Squirrel
The Douglas Squirrel is a pine squirrel native to America. They Weigh 0.5–0.75 pounds. The squirrels live in coniferous forests along the Pacific Northwest, including parts of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. There’s also an isolated group in Baja California, Mexico.
American Red Squirrel
The American red squirrel sticks out from other species by having red fur and a dark red tail and white circles around its eye. They weigh 0.4–0.66 pounds and live in forests across Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States.
Arizona Gray Squirrel
The Arizona gray squirrel weighs between 0.88 and 1 pound and mostly eats walnuts, as well as fungus, juniper berries, and seeds. They roam valleys, canyons, as well as woodlands and forests in Arizona and parts of New Mexico.
Southern Flying Squirrel
Despite being elusive and hard to spot, the Southern Flying Squirrel is the most common flying squirrel in North America. They Weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 ounces and live in deciduous and mixed forests across the eastern United States.
Northern Flying Squirrel
The northern flying squirrel weighs 2.3–5.1 ounces and lives in boreal forests in Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern United States. The northern flying squirrel feeds on lichens, fungi, tree sap, nuts, seeds, and insects. They also play a vital ecological role by dispersing fungal spores essential for tree health.
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