Red Squirrel

The red squirrel was the last mammals to come and spread on the British Isle before Britain became detached from the mainland.

Until 1940 the red squirrel was to be seen everywhere. Its population reduced gradually and by now it doesn't exists in Southern England at all. It still exists in isolated places such as the Isle of Wight. Naturalists are trying hard to re-introduce it in other areas. It is now thought that the disappearance of the red squirrel could also be due to a disease. Previously it was thought that the grey squirrel, which was introduced from America, was to blame.

In the summer the red squirrel's coat is a bright chestnut colour and their legs and feet are orange-brown. Towards the end of the summer their bushy tail turns into a pale cream. Its winter coat grows long and silky with a colour of chocolate-brown.

It has claws that grip the bark strongly and you see it running down the tree with the head first. The red squirrel lives mostly up in the trees. The courtship involves a lot of running and chasing. Squirrels do not hibernate and you can see them running around in the snow trying to find the nut they buried before. Their ear-tufts are much longer in the winter.

Grey Squirrel

The grey squirrel was brought over from America at the turn of the last century. It loves to be focused and therefore performs a variety of acrobatics anywhere to an audience for a few nuts.

Its size is bigger and stronger and also it is capable to live in hedgerow tree, parkland and gardens, not to mention the forest.

In the summer the fur of the grey squirrel turns into a yellowish-brown. In the autumn it starts to grow its winter coat and it turns into a silvery colour. Neither the red squirrel nor the grey hibernate but the activity slows down. It has no ear-tufts.

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