The Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris )
Family: Sciuridae
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Habitat: Can be found in a range of habitats include deciduous, mixed and coniferous woodland; parks and gardens
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Diet: Red squirrels are omnivores; they will typically eat seeds, nuts, berries, fungi, bark, buds & shoots – however on very rare occasions they will also eat insects, birds’ eggs and nestlings
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Predators: Foxes, stoats, cats and birds of prey such as Buzzard & Goshawk will all predate on Red Squirrel if given the chance. Pine Marten will also occasionally predate on Red Squirrel; however Grey Squirrels are slower than the red so greys are the preferred option out of the two.
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Biometrics: Head to body length is between 20 – 25cm, with the tail being an additional 15 – 20cm, weight can vary between 230 – 450g
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Features: The characteristic traits of a red squirrel are often its orange-red fur and its large ear tufts. Although they can actually vary in colour from vivid ginger to dark brown and their ear tufts are more prominent in the winter, as they lose them in the summer when moulting. Red squirrels also have a large bushy tail that is almost as long as their body.
Field Signs: Footprints can occasionally be seen but only in mud, sand and snow as they are very small and delicate; therefore, easily over looked. The most characteristic sign of squirrels in the area are feeding signs. Squirrels will split acorns and hazelnuts leaving rough jagged edges and the Pine cones are stripped but the top section of the cone is always left untouched. Drey’s can also be seen as a ball of leaves and twigs but is hard to observe in Summer (winter is much easier when fewer leaves are on the trees).
N.B It is hard to define distinct field signs between red squirrels and grey squirrels so the above applies to both
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Breeding & Resting Places: Squirrels build twig nests often known as a ‘drey’, they are usually anchored in a fork of a tree to allow the dray to be securely fastened. The drey is lined with grass and moss and is used for both a resting place as well as a natal site to rear young during the breeding season
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Breeding cycle of a Red Squirrel: Two litters can be born during the year with the breeding season occurring between Dec – June. The gestation period is approximately 38 days, and when born there will be between 2 – 5 naked and blind young known as kittens. The kittens will open their eyes at around 1 month old and will suckle for approx. 2 months, after which they will then be independent leaving the drey.