It is hard to guess what a Columbian ground squirrel weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Columbian ground squirrel (Spermophilus columbianus) on average weights 471 grams (1.04 lbs).
The Columbian ground squirrel is from the family Sciuridae (genus: Spermophilus). It is usually born with about 9 grams (0.02 lbs). When reaching adult age, they grow up to 29.6 cm (1′ 0″). On average, Columbian ground squirrels can have babies 1 times per year with a litter size of 3.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The Columbian ground squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus) is a species of rodent common in certain regions of Canada and the northwestern United States. It is the second largest member of the genus Urocitellus, which is part of the tribe Marmotini, along with marmots, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and other holarctic ground squirrels. They are stout, with short dense fur, which is characteristically tawny across the bridge of the nose. Social encounters often are initiated with kissing behavior and the most common activity above ground is standing at attention. Residing in mountainous terrain and high plains in northern latitudes, they hibernate most of the year in burrows, which may be used for many years. They are emaciated when emerging in the spring. These long periods of torpor earned the squirrels the moniker “Seven Sleepers”, since the rests last around seven months. The Columbian ground squirrel came to the attention of the scientific community through writings produced by Lewis and Clark, while 21st century molecular genetics has more finely illuminated its ties with other close relatives.
Animals of the same family as a Columbian ground squirrel
We found other animals of the Sciuridae family:
- Olympic marmot bringing 6.3 kilos (13.89 lbs) to the scale
- Arrow flying squirrel with a weight of 49 grams
- Hodgson’s giant flying squirrel bringing 1.48 kilos (3.26 lbs) to the scale
- Thirteen-lined ground squirrel with a weight of 175 grams
- Black-striped squirrel with a weight of 209 grams
- Striped bush squirrel with a weight of 160 grams
- Alpine chipmunk with a weight of 36 grams
- Yellow ground squirrel with a weight of 779 grams
- Black flying squirrel bringing 1.19 kilos (2.62 lbs) to the scale
- Epixerus with a weight of 559 grams
Animals with the same weight as a Columbian ground squirrel
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Spermophilus columbianus:
- Desert bandicoot bringing 499 grams to the scale
- Darien pocket gopher bringing 437 grams to the scale
- Hispid pocket gopher bringing 499 grams to the scale
- Golden bandicoot bringing 425 grams to the scale
- Merriam’s pocket gopher bringing 420 grams to the scale
- Baja California rock squirrel bringing 551 grams to the scale
- Striped possum bringing 413 grams to the scale
- Striped bandicoot bringing 542 grams to the scale
- Allen’s squirrel bringing 465 grams to the scale
- Michoacan pocket gopher bringing 474 grams to the scale
Animals with the same size as a Columbian ground squirrel
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Columbian ground squirrel:
- Cape dune mole-rat with a size of 27.9 cm (0′ 11″)
- Lutrine opossum with a size of 32.4 cm (1′ 1″)
- Common degu with a size of 28 cm (1′ 0″)
- Common echymipera with a size of 27 cm (0′ 11″)
- Arizona gray squirrel with a size of 26.4 cm (0′ 11″)
- Franklin’s ground squirrel with a size of 24.5 cm (0′ 10″)
- Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat with a size of 26.5 cm (0′ 11″)
- White-footed rabbit-rat with a size of 25 cm (0′ 10″)
- Reclusive ringtail possum with a size of 33.9 cm (1′ 2″)
- Collared titi with a size of 29.4 cm (1′ 0″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Columbian ground squirrel
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (3) as a Columbian ground squirrel: