10 largest squirrels in the world

Squirrels belong to the Sciuridae family, which has hundreds of species. Generally speaking, there are three varieties: ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. Pitting the members of each group against each other, we found the ten largest squirrels in the world; let’s take a look!

(But, before we start, a few notes on the list)

Due to the overwhelming diversity of species in the Sciuridae family, for this list we have organized records by genus and largest species in those genera. The genus is the classification level above the species. Expanding to the genus level allows the list to expand on the wild world of squirrels. Each entry below has been calculated using CM for length (including tail).

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10. Mountain gopher (up to 57 cm or 1.87 feet in length). Geosciurus princeps

This large gopher lives in the south of Angola and the south of Namibia. Like most gophers, the mountainous ground is burrows. They are larger than gophers, but are often mistaken for capes. Physically, they are covered in short, cinnamon-colored blond hair, with white hair around the eyes and along the belly. They have small ears, a slender tail with three black stripes, and live in arid and semi-arid climates.

The mountainous area is the largest of the two species of its kind, Geosciurus… Combined with four other genera, they make up a tribe of ground squirrels that live in Africa and Asia, dig holes, live in open meadows or the savannah and resemble North American prairie dogs.

9. Forest giant squirrels (up to 61 cm or 2 feet long) Protoxerus stangery

Forest giant squirrel of the genus Protoxerus the largest tree squirrel in Africa. In contrast to the highlands, they have wide and bushy tails, often equal to their body length. The forest giant is basically a solitary creature that feeds on the fruits and seeds of trees.

Forest giant squirrels usually have short, hard fur, and individual hairs have a black base and a black tip. Their breasts are white and their undersides are almost hairless, exposing their yellowish skin. Like the highlands, the forest giant also has small ears. Despite the loss of habitat, the forest giant is quite adaptable and is considered the least dangerous by the IUCN.

8. Kashmiri flying squirrel (up to 64 cm or 2.1 feet in length). Eoglaucomys fimbriatus

Kashmir is the first flying squirrel on our list – a large nocturnal squirrel native to Northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Despite their name, flying squirrels don’t actually fly. They glide long distances, jumping from great heights and extending their arms, which have a large, parachute-like flap of skin that connects the wrist to the ankle. These folds of skin are called patagium and act like wings, allowing proteins to glide hundreds of feet. Their long tails also help stabilize them midway.

Like the region after which it is named, Kashmir lives in a mountainous area dominated by mountain forests. They can be found at altitudes ranging from 6,000 to 11,500 feet. Despite the fact that the Kashmiri flying squirrel does not face many direct threats, despite the fact that it has settled in one of the most volatile areas in the world, between two nuclear powers, a disputed territory (Kashmir) and war-torn Afghanistan. Due to its apparent adaptability, it is listed as Least Dangerous by the IUCN.

7. Crested ground squirrel (up to 69.5 cm or 2.28 feet in length). Rheithrosciurus macrotis

The crested ground squirrel is the only species of its kind and is actually a tree squirrel. A native of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, the myth has since debunked suggested that crested ground squirrels were at one time vampires, hanging from branches to attack the jugular crowns of unsuspecting deer. The vampire squirrel myth has been widely debunked, but it is likely due to the squirrel’s large, serrated incisors.

The crested land is a fluffy omnivore with a bushy tail that loves to eat insects and small invertebrates, unlike previous articles, which were all herbivores. A crested ground squirrel of a bright chestnut color with large tufts of hair on the ears. At nearly 70cm in length (including its tail, which is often longer than the rest of its body) and weighing up to 4 pounds, it’s no surprise that the large rodent was mistaken for something more potentially sinister. Deforestation is the biggest threat to its habitat, and due to the shrinking range, crested ground squirrels are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.

6. Squirrel Alberts (up to 83 cm, 2.7 feet long). Squirrel aberti

The Albert squirrel is a tree squirrel native to the Southern Rocky Mountains in the United States and the Northern Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. Similar to foxes in taxonomy but can grow in size, Albert’s squirrels are the largest tree squirrels in North America. Their population is listed as the least dangerous by the IUCN.

Albert’s squirrels prefer the mature pine forests of ponderosa and feed mainly on the seeds and cones of the Mexican pignon and ponderosa pine. With a dark gray coloration, tufted ears and a strikingly pale lower body, they are fairly easily recognizable among the squirrel species. Another unique feature of typical Albert squirrels is the rusty brown streak of hair on their back. Unlike other North American squirrels, Albert’s does not store food.

5. Indian giant squirrel (up to 100 cm, 3.28 feet in length). Ratufa indicates

Representing the genus Ratufa as its largest species, the Indian giant squirrel (also known as the Malabar giant squirrel) is a hippopotamus. It can be up to 100cm in total length and weigh up to four pounds. The squirrel is endemic to India, with populations distributed along the Western and Eastern Ghats and the Satpura mountain range. Currently, four subspecies have been identified.

The colors of the Indian giant squirrel are mesmerizing. His two-tone two- and three-tone coat has caught the attention of National Geographic and the Smithsonian Institution, which have published articles on the squirrel in the past few years. In general, squirrels can be white, cream, brown, rusty, reddish brown, light yellow, burgundy, dark brown, or black. The exact color depends on the subspecies.

Typical Indian G
ia
nt Squirrel foods include fruits, flowers, bark and seeds. They are an important seed propagation species and spend most of their time high in tree crowns. When threatened, they can jump 20 feet through the air to avoid danger. The predators of the Indian giant squirrel are owls and the Indian leopard.

4… Lao flying squirrel (up to 105 cm, 3.4 feet long) Biswamoyopterus laoensis

The largest member of the genus Biswamoyopterus (which he shares with the flying squirrel Namdaf); The Lao flying squirrel was granted species status only in 2013. The first examples of the squirrel were found in a timber market in Laos, which means that it has lived in the environment long enough to be used for human consumption and consumption. The squirrel has reddish fur with white spots, and its patagia (used as wings when gliding) is orange with a white underside.

Due to its recent and limited find, comprehensive information on this species is still incomplete. From samples taken from the shrub market, scientists have a better understanding of its size, but they lack data on overall diet, habitat and behavior. Hopefully, over time, more light will be shed on this mysterious and large flying squirrel.

3. Olympic marmot (up to 106 cm, 3.48 feet in length). Olympic marmot

Common in many parts of the world, marmots are a large and interesting genus of ground squirrels. The largest marmot ever recorded belongs to the Olympic marmot species. The Olympic is an endemic species in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, about the size of a large domestic cat. They are the largest gophers in North America and are among the top three on our list.

Marmots are generally recognizable by their broad heads, short legs, and large fluffy tails. Their color varies from species to species, but the Olympic is usually brown with little white details. Like other ground squirrels, marmots often dig holes, often making holes with several chambers, in which several members live. Marmot species, including Olympic, Alpine, and Yellow-bellied, hibernate and sleep soundly every winter, with their heart rate dropping to three beats per minute. Before hibernation, they lay grass, straw and hay on the bottom of the hole as bedding.

2. Western woolly flying squirrel (up to 114.5 cm, 3.75 feet in length) Eupetavr sinereus

The Western Woolly Flying Squirrel is the second on our list and is almost 10 cm longer than the Olympic marmot in size. They live in mountainous areas in northern Pakistan and northeastern India, crossing over with the Kashmir flying squirrel. Previously, research was limited to skins extracted from 19^th century, but since the 1990s scientists have successfully caught, observed and videotaped Western woolly in the wild. It was long thought to be the only species of its kind, but recent discoveries in 2021 have added two more species. IUCN lists them as endangered.

The western woolly flying squirrel lives on the slopes of the Himalayas. Its preferred habitat is caves and rocky cliffs close to coniferous and pine forests. The squirrel is also considered the heaviest gliding mammal in the world, weighing up to five and a half pounds. Food requirements are still being analyzed, but everyone agrees that pine needles are a central food component of the Western woolly diet. The squirrel’s fur is thick and long, gray and fluffy. Local estimates suggest that anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 woolly animals may remain in the wild, and their biggest obstacle to species success is habitat fragmentation and human development.

1. Red and white flying squirrel (up to 119 cm, 3.9 feet long) Petaurista alborufus

The largest squirrel in the world is a red and white flying squirrel that weighed up to 9.5 pounds!

This absolute unit of protein is nearly four feet long (including the tail) and can weigh up to 4.25 pounds. In one rare example, the person weighed 9.5 pounds! It is often called the largest squirrel, although it surpasses the western woolly in average weight. Its range includes mainland China, where there are few observations, and Taiwan, although there is reason to believe that the giant flying squirrel in Taiwan should be a separate species. They are fertile enough in their habitats to be considered the species of least concern, according to the IUCN.