# Could a small rodent (mouse, chipmunk) be killed by an apple falling from a tree? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535 "2019-09-20T03:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/1 "2019-09-20T03:00:45Z")
Don’t need answer fast. But how strong are the skulls of small rodents? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/2 "2019-09-20T10:47:56Z")
Not sure about the skull, but ISTM that an apple falling from substantial height could cause massive blunt trauma if it landed on the body of a small rodent. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/3 "2019-09-20T13:48:06Z")
On the other hand, as a rule, apples don’t fall on hard, unyielding surfaces. This has a big impact (heh) on the impact. It is hard to kill even bugs using much larger and heavier objects than apples, if the bug is on grass, under an apple tree. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/4 "2019-09-20T15:14:11Z")
You don’t need to squash the rodent nor even fracture its skull. It think that a falling apple might be enough to break a neck if it hit just right. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/5 "2019-09-20T15:40:57Z")
Just to have some numbers to work with: [Body weight of adult gray squirrel]([https://www.esf.edu](https://www.esf.edu) › aec › adks › mammals › gray\_squirrel): about 1 to 1.5 lbs (~450-680 g). [Weight of medium red delicious apple](https://www.livestrong.com/article/303131-how-many-calories-are-in-a-red-delicous-apple/): about 1/3 lb (~150 g) [Here’s an Everlast 60 lb heavy bag](https://www.amazon.com/Everlast-60-Pound-Platinum-Heavy-Bag/dp/B002UKJ5V8) used for boxing workouts and such. Note that this item is considerably lighter than the bags high-level boxers and MMA fighters would use (100-150 lb). The last mathematical item is the height of the drop – that 1/3 lb apple is coming down on that 1.25 lb squirrel from … 8-10 feet? Don’t think I’ve ever been up close to an apple tree. So anyway, is that comparable to dropping a 60-lb heavy bag onto a 180-lb person from how high? Is the height meant to scale up linearly with the weight to draw a comparison? Not sure. In any case, it’s clear that the apple has to hit a squirrel just so to kill it. Random apples falling onto randomly-places squirrels will suffer a lot of glancing blows and near misses – and yes, likely a handful of deaths. Seems that many more squirrels will survive than get snuffed, though. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/6 "2019-09-20T16:16:12Z")
Trying to make it look like an accident? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/7 "2019-09-20T16:18:47Z")
My aunt killed her chihuahua by tossing a small a bone onto it’s temple. so I think it’s at all far fetched to imagine an apple killing a mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/8 "2019-09-20T17:03:31Z")
I saw a squirrel fall off a powerline right onto a concrete sidewalk. I thought for sure he was dead. I went and tapped it with my toe and to my amazement he jumped up and ran off to the trees. I kept watching for him after that, thinking I’d see a limping squirrel. They are tough little creatures. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/9 "2019-09-20T19:06:40Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > Trying to make it look like an accident? Planning the worst game of Clue ever. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/10 "2019-09-21T15:02:51Z")
It would have to be a “not long for this world anyway” rodent as birds of prey feast on such non-observant creatures. Falling apples equate to death from above, let’s scurry away scenarios. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/11 "2019-09-21T17:17:47Z")
I walked out the door yesterday and an acorn hit me on the head. If I didn’t see the acorn drop to the ground I would’ve swore it was a large rock. It hit hard. Surprisingly hard. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/12 "2019-09-21T17:25:24Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > My aunt killed her chihuahua by tossing a small a bone onto it’s temple. so I think it’s at all far fetched to imagine an apple killing a mouse. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/13 "2019-09-21T17:48:52Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I walked out the door yesterday… Where were you headed? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/14 "2019-09-21T18:09:27Z")
I came and I went.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/15 "2019-09-21T19:04:57Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I walked out the door yesterday and an acorn hit me on the head. If I didn’t see the acorn drop to the ground I would’ve swore it was a large rock. It hit hard. Surprisingly hard. We have a couple oaks overhanding our house. The sound of acorns hitting our roof in the fall is amazing. (And it seems that every other year is a big year for them.) Sometimes one will hit a sky light and makes me worry that one will crack someday. This is with the jillion evil squirrels running around grabbing acorns directly off the tree. If that didn’t happen the sound would be like a battle for weeks on end. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/16 "2019-09-21T19:44:33Z")
It didn’t seem to bother our dog much when a squirrel dropped an acorn on her head. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/17 "2019-09-21T22:16:20Z")
I’ve had a squirrel try to drop a pine cone on _me_… but it missed. One of those green, unripe, **heavy** pinecones. Little bastard. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-small-rodent-mouse-chipmunk-be-killed-by-an-apple-falling-from-a-tree/840535/18 "2019-09-21T23:19:21Z")
Thanks for the math bordelond, but the OP asked about a small rodent like a mouse of chipmunk. I’d think they’d be much more susceptible to damage than a squirrel.