There are no squirrels in Hawaii. Squirrels are not indigenous to the islands and have not been bought in. However, Hawaii has another non-native and invasive creature that some people mistake for a squirrel – a mongoose.
Most squirrel species are resilient and have adapted to the foreign lands they were taken to as pets or ‘watchable wildlife.’ Many tree squirrels have adapted to urban settings and migrated across large regions.
Squirrels are not native to Hawaii, can’t migrate across the seas to get there, and have not been brought in as pets, yet some visitors to the area often swear they saw squirrels there. So, what did they see?
In this article, we answer this question and examine the kinds of rodents that do live in Hawaii.
Why Are There No Squirrels in Hawaii?
There are no squirrels in Hawaii because they aren’t native to the islands, and haven’t been brought to the island as pets or as watchable wildlife for parks yet.
Squirrels have not been able to migrate to Hawaii naturally, as eastern gray squirrels are doing in Europe.
This is because squirrels can’t swim across the sea to the Hawaiian islands from North America over 2000 miles away.[1]
Some visitors to the area swear they have seen squirrels there though. So, what did they see?
Squirrel-Like Animals in Hawaii: The Mongoose
Hawaii has an alien mongoose population, a terrestrial mammal that is sometimes mistaken for a squirrel.
How Mongooses Came To Hawaii
Indian mongooses (Herpestes javanicus) was brought into Hawai’i in 1883 to control rats in sugarcane fields.
The mongoose population has spread on Hawai’i island, O’ahu, Maui, and Moloka’i.[2]
Mongooses are thriving on the Hawaiian Islands for many reasons:
- There are no natural predators for mongooses on the islands.
- There are few parasites on the islands that affect mongooses.
- There are few diseases on the islands that affect mongooses.
What Do Mongooses In Hawaii Look Like?
Indian mongooses in Hawaii have coarse brown fur, pointed heads, long, slender bodies, short legs, and long tails.
They average 15.71 inches in length and weigh an average of 14.10 ounces.[3]
Why Mongooses Are a Problem In Hawaii
Mongooses are skillful predators that threaten Hawaii’s native ecosystem.
They were brought in to eat rodents, which they do, but they also eat birds and eggs. They have been eating native birds and the eggs of sea turtles.
In Hawaii, mongooses eat the eggs of loggerhead, hawksbill, leatherback, and the endangered Hawaiian sea turtles. Ground-nesting birds, like the endangered Hawaiian goose, are also on mongooses’ menu.[4]
Some of the species they prey on are endangered and some become extinct in the wild.
Conservations are concerned about the negative impact mongooses have on native bird and turtle populations.
There are plans to eliminate mongooses on the Hawaiin Islands and people are currently trapping and poisoning them to try to reduce the number of mongooses.
Related: Animals in Hawaii
Where Do Squirrels Live in the U.S?
Squirrels live across North America with different types of squirrels living in different regions and habitats.
Let’s take a look at where the following squirrels live in North America:
- Eastern gray squirrels
- American red squirrels
- Fox squirrels
- Chipmunks
- Southern flying squirrels
- Northern flying squirrels
- Thirteen-lined ground squirrels
1. Eastern Gray Squirrels
Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are one of the most prevalent tree squirrels in North America. These resilient squirrels live all over the eastern United States to just west of the Mississippi River and along the north to Canada.[5]
2. American Red Squirrels
American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) live across the northern half of North America in coniferous forests, suburbs, and cities with an interlocking coniferous tree canopy.[6]
3. Fox Squirrels
Fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) live in forests and urban forested areas in the eastern and central United States between northern Mexico and Canada.[7]
5. Southern Flying Squirrels
Southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) live in woodlands and forests in the eastern half of the United States, southeastern Canada, Mexico, and Honduras.[9]
6. Northern flying squirrels
Northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) live in forests across Canada, south to the mountains of North Carolina, and west to Utah in the United States.[10]
7. Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) live in grasslands and urban areas with short grass in central North America.[11]
Related: Flying Squirrels in Pennsylvania
Rodents in Hawaii
Although there are no squirrels in Hawaii, the islands are not without rodents. House mice, brown rats, and Polynesian rats are commonly spotted in the region.
| Rodent Species | Species Name | Size |
| House mouse | Mus musculus | 6–7 inches long |
| Black Rat | Rattus rattus | 6.30–8.66 inches long |
| Brown rat | Rattus norvegicus | 8–10 inches long |
| Polynesian Rat | Rattus exulans | 4–5 inches long |
House mouse
The house mouse (Mus musculus) are found around the world. It is the smallest rodent in Hawaii, measuring 6–7 inches long (including the tail) and weighing only half an ounce. [12]
Also known as field mice, they have small rounded bodies with slim tails that are longer than their heads and bodies combined. Their fur color ranges from tan to brown and dark gray.
These resilient little rodents can nest inside houses, rock walls, rock piles, burrows, and under cane plants.
Black Rat
The black rat (Rattus rattus), also known as a roof rat, house rat, and ship rat, is found around the world.
This rat is thought to be from India. They could have spread throughout the world when people started traveling across the world in ships.[13]
They are 6.30–8.66 inches long with tails longer than their bodies and heads combined. Black rats have pointed noses and large eyes. The color of their fur varies from grey to jet black with a grey, light grey to white undersides.[14]
They nest in attics, trees, and abandoned burrows of Norway rats.
Brown Rat (Norway Rat)
The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is one of the most common rats in the world. Measuring between 8–10 inches long and weighing 10–18 ounces, it is the largest rat in Hawaii.
The coarse, brownish fur is sometimes splotched with black or white hairs and lighter gray or tan color undersides. Their ears and tail are bald.[15]
Brown rats dig burrows in the ground, but they also live in sewers, pig styes, chicken coops, rubbish piles, garbage dumps, and inside people’s homes (in wall cavities, roofs, or under floorboards).[16]
Polynesian Rat
Measuring a mere 4–5 inches long and weighing between 2–3 ounces, Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) are small rodents.
They originate from Southeast Asia and New Guinea. They spread to thousands of islands in the western and central Pacific Ocean with Polynesian people in large sea-going canoes.
Polynesian rats have cinnamon-brown to grey fur with whitish undersides. They have slender bodies, large ears, and pointed noises.[17]
They live on farms and in fields. They build their nests in burrows and rock piles or walls.
