It is hard to guess what a Red and white giant flying squirrel weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) on average weights 1.5 kg (3.31 lbs).
The Red and white giant flying squirrel is from the family Sciuridae (genus: Petaurista). When reaching adult age, they grow up to 41 cm (1′ 5″).
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 red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is a very large, dark rufous-red, buff and white flying squirrel found in forests at altitudes of 800–3,500 m (2,600–11,500 ft) in mainland China and 1,200–3,750 m (3,940–12,300 ft) in Taiwan, although the population of the latter island is distinctive and likely better regarded as a separate species, the Taiwan giant flying squirrel (P. lena). Additionally, the red and white giant flying squirrel possibly ranges into northeastern South Asia and far northern Mainland Southeast Asia. This squirrel has a wide range and is relatively common, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as being of “least concern”.They spend their days sleeping in a tree hollow, emerging at night to forage in the trees. Their diet consists primarily of nuts and fruits, but also includes leafy vegetation, insects and their larvae. Like other flying squirrels, this species can move between trees by gliding (not actually fly like a bat), exceptionally as much as 400 m (1,300 ft). This is achieved by the patagium, skin spread out between its limbs.
Animals of the same family as a Red and white giant flying squirrel
We found other animals of the Sciuridae family:
- Allen’s chipmunk with a weight of 89 grams
- Ruwenzori sun squirrel with a weight of 291 grams
- Philippine pygmy squirrel with a weight of 27 grams
- Least chipmunk with a weight of 42 grams
- Deppe’s squirrel with a weight of 250 grams
- Richmond’s squirrel with a weight of 237 grams
- Thomas’s flying squirrel bringing 1.43 kilos (3.15 lbs) to the scale
- Whiskered flying squirrel with a weight of 108 grams
- Gray marmot with 5 babies per litter
- Davao squirrel with a size of 21 cm (0′ 9″)
Animals with the same weight as a Red and white giant flying squirrel
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Petaurista alborufus:
- Indian grey mongoose with a weight of 1.31 kilos (2.89 lbs)
- Gambian mongoose with a weight of 1.64 kilos (3.62 lbs)
- Common genet with a weight of 1.77 kilos (3.9 lbs)
- Brown greater galago with a weight of 1.22 kilos (2.69 lbs)
- Southern long-nosed armadillo with a weight of 1.5 kilos (3.31 lbs)
- Haussa genet with a weight of 1.4 kilos (3.09 lbs)
- Marsh rabbit with a weight of 1.36 kilos (3 lbs)
- Rothschild’s cuscus with a weight of 1.37 kilos (3.02 lbs)
- De Vis’s woolly rat with a weight of 1.66 kilos (3.66 lbs)
- Boodie with a weight of 1.45 kilos (3.2 lbs)
Animals with the same size as a Red and white giant flying squirrel
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Red and white giant flying squirrel:
- African savanna hare with a size of 45 cm (1′ 6″)
- Gambian mongoose with a size of 35 cm (1′ 2″)
- Kodkod with a size of 38.8 cm (1′ 4″)
- Three-striped night monkey with a size of 35.8 cm (1′ 3″)
- Golden-crowned sifaka with a size of 47.5 cm (1′ 7″)
- White-eared opossum with a size of 36 cm (1′ 3″)
- Chinese ferret-badger with a size of 38.5 cm (1′ 4″)
- Tres Marias rabbit with a size of 42.8 cm (1′ 5″)
- Cape hare with a size of 42.6 cm (1′ 5″)
- White-footed saki with a size of 39.4 cm (1′ 4″)