Red Squirrel
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae Genus: Sciurus Subgenus: Sciurus Species: S. vulgaris
Binomial name
Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758
Red Squirrel range

Grey squirrels are very aggressive and will kill red squirrels if they come in contact.They kill all small animals and thats why they are such a pain to our country.They have a disease called poxvirus which kills red squirrels and also effets humans greatly . Maby even causing death. Binomial name (Erxleben, 1777) The North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is one of two species of tree squirrel currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus and known as pine squirrels (the other is the Douglas squirrel, ). It is a medium sized (200–250g) diurnal mammal that defends a year-round... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1441 × 1921 pixel, file size: 334 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Near Threatened (NT) is an conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa which may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... Genera Many: see text. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel (genus Sciurus). Red squirrels are tree-dwelling omnivorous rodents that are frequently found throughout Eurasia. In Britain, however, numbers have decreased drastically; in part due to the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America^[2] and, in part, through poor management of their woodland habitat. For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... Subgenera Tenes Sciurus Hesperosciurus Otosciurus Guerlinguetus Hadrosciurus Urosciurus Although the term tree squirrel can refer to any arboreal member of the family Sciuridae, it is generally in reference to the common and widely distributed members of the genus Sciurus. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... Subgenera Tenes Sciurus Hesperosciurus Otosciurus Guerlinguetus Hadrosciurus Urosciurus Although the term tree squirrel can refer to any arboreal member of the family Sciuridae, it is generally in reference to the common and widely distributed members of the genus Sciurus. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Pigs are omnivores. ... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Gmelin, 1788 The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a tree squirrel that is native to the eastern to midwestern United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

Physical description

Red squirrels have a typical head to body length of 19 to 23 cm, a tail length of 15 to 20 cm and a mass of 250 to 340 g. They are not sexually dimorphic as males and females are the same size. The red squirrel is slightly smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head to body length of 25 to 30 cm and weighs between 400 and 800 g. It is thought that the long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and running along branches and may keep the animal warm during sleep. cm redirects here, alternate uses: cm (disambiguation) A centimetre (symbol cm; American spelling: centimeter) is an SI unit of length. ... For other meanings of gram, see gram (disambiguation). ... Female (left) and male Common Pheasant, illustrating the dramatic difference in both color and size, between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ...

Profile of the Eurasian Red Squirrel in grey winter coat.

A two week old Red Squirrel.

The coat of the red squirrel varies in colour with time of year and location. There are several different coat colour morphs ranging from black to red. Red coats are most common in Great Britain; in other parts of Europe and Asia the different coat colours co-exist within populations, much like hair colour in humans. The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in colour. Red squirrels shed their coats twice a year, switching from a thinner summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat with noticeably larger ear-tufts (a prominent distinguishing feature of this species) between August and November. A lighter, redder overall coat colour, along with the larger ear-tufts, helps to distinguish the European red squirrel from either of the Eastern Grey Squirrel or the American Red Squirrel. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 729 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (945 × 777 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A european squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 729 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (945 × 777 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A european squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x806, 127 KB) A two weeks old squirrel baby (Sciurus vulgaris). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x806, 127 KB) A two weeks old squirrel baby (Sciurus vulgaris). ... Binomial name Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788 The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a tree squirrel that is native to the eastern to midwestern United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. ... Binomial name (Erxleben, 1777) The North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is one of two species of tree squirrel currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus and known as pine squirrels (the other is the Douglas squirrel, ). It is a medium sized (200–250g) diurnal mammal that defends a year-round...

The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp, curved claws to enable the climbing of trees, even when branches are overhanging. Cat claw A claw is a curved pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger or, in arthropods, of the tarsus. ...

Reproduction and mortality

Mating can occur in late winter during February and March and in summer between June and July. Up to two litters a year per female are possible. Each litter usually contains three or four young although as many as six may be born. Gestation is about 38 to 39 days. The young are looked after by the mother alone, and are born helpless, blind and deaf and weigh between 10 to 15 g. Their body is covered by hair at 21 days, their eyes and ears open after three to four weeks, and they develop all their teeth by 42 days. The juvenile red squirrel can eat solids around 40 days following birth and from that point can leave the nest on their own to find food, however they still suckle from their mother until weaning occurs at eight to 10 weeks. Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ... A breastfeeding infant Breastfeeding is the practice of a woman feeding an infant (or sometimes a toddler or a young child) with milk produced from her mammary glands, usually directly from the nipples. ...

During mating, males detect females that are in œstrus from an odor that they produce, and although there is no courtship the male will chase the female for up to an hour prior to mating. Usually multiple males will chase a single female, until the dominant male, usually the largest in the group, mates with the female. Males and females will mate multiple times with many partners. Females must reach a minimum body mass before they enter œstrus, and heavy females on average produce more young. If food is scarce breeding may be delayed. Typically a female will produce her first litter in her second year. ...

The lifespan of the red squirrel is on average three years, although individuals may reach 7 years of age, and 10 in captivity. Survival is positively related to availability of autumn–winter tree seeds, on average, 75-85% of juveniles disappear during their first winter, and mortality is approximately 50% for winters following the first.^[3]

Ecology and behaviour

Red squirrel

Red Squirrel

A Red Squirrel with a brown coat.

The red squirrel is native to usually coniferous forest and it is also found in temperate broadleaf woodlands. The squirrel makes a nest, known as a drey in a branch-fork of a conifer by laying down twigs to make a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter, then lining it with moss, leaves, grass and bark. Hollows and woodpecker's nests are also used. Red Squirrels are solitary animals and are shy and reluctant to share food with others. However, outside the breeding season and particularly in winter, multiple Red Squirrels may share a drey to keep warm. Social organization is based on dominance hierarchies among and between sexes, although males are not necessarily dominant to females, the dominant animals tend to be larger and older than subordinate animals and dominant males tend to have larger home ranges than subordinate males or females.^[4] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1446x1074, 116 KB) Summary Description: A squirrel sitting on a step in front of my house in Bavaria, Germany. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1446x1074, 116 KB) Summary Description: A squirrel sitting on a step in front of my house in Bavaria, Germany. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x792, 504 KB) Beschreibung: Europäisches Eichhörnchen / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Fotograf: Darkone, 27. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x792, 504 KB) Beschreibung: Europäisches Eichhörnchen / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Fotograf: Darkone, 27. ... Image File history File links Sciurus_vulgaris_bearn_2001. ... Image File history File links Sciurus_vulgaris_bearn_2001. ... Temperate coniferous forests are a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. ... ... A drey is a squirrels nest of twigs and leaves in a tree. ... Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales   Pinaceae - Pine family   Araucariaceae - Araucaria family   Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family   Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family   Cupressaceae - Cypress family   Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family   Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ... For other uses, see Moss (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of bark, see Bark (disambiguation). ... Genera Melanerpes Sphyrapicus Xiphidiopicus Dendropicos Dendrocopos Picoides Veniliornis Campethera Geocolaptes Dinopium Meiglyptes Hemicircus Micropternus Picus Mulleripicus Dryocopus Celeus Piculus Colaptes Campephilus Chrysocolaptes Reinwardtipicus Blythipicus Gecinulus Sapheopipo For other uses, see Woodpecker (disambiguation). ... Reproduction is the creation of one thing as a copy of, product of, or replacement for a similar thing, e. ...

Red squirrels eat mostly the seeds of trees, neatly stripping conifer cones to get at the seeds within. Fungi, birds' eggs, berries and young shoots are also eaten. Often the bark of trees is removed to allow access to sap. Between 60% and 80% of active period may be spent foraging and feeding.^[5] Excess food is put into caches, either buried or in nooks or holes in trees and eaten when food is scarce. Although red squirrels do remember where they created caches at a better than chance level, their spatial memory is substantially less accurate and durable than that of grey squirrels^[6]; they therefore will often have to search for them when in need, and many caches are never found again. No territories are maintained, and the feeding areas of individuals overlap considerably. A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... This article is about the fruit. ... The abbreviation, acronym, or initialism SAP has several different meanings: SAP AG, a German software company, or its various products such as SAP R/3 or SAP Business Information Warehouse second audio program (television) Session Announcement Protocol Soritong audio player Simple As Possible Computer Architecture Structural Adjustment Program of the... In neuroscience, spatial memory is the part of memory responsible for recording information about ones environment and its spatial orientation. ... Binomial name Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788 The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a tree squirrel that is native to the eastern to midwestern United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. ...

The active period for the red squirrel is in the morning and late afternoon-evening. They often rest in their nests in the middle of the day, avoiding the heat and the high visibility to birds of prey that are dangers during these hours. During the winter, this mid-day rest is often much more brief, or absent entirely, although harsh weather may cause the animal to stay in its nest for up to days at a time. Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ...

Arboreal predators include small mammals including the pine marten, wild cats, and the stoat which preys on nestlings, birds including owls and raptors such as goshawk and buzzard may also take red squirrels. The red fox, cats and dogs can prey upon the red squirrel when they are on the ground. Humans influence the population size and mortality of the red squirrel by destroying or altering habitats, causing road casualties, or through controlling populations by hunting. Binomial name Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is about the European Pine Marten. ... For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. ... Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) The Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis; from OE. góshafoc goose-hawk) is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. ... A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below. ... For other uses, see Red Fox (disambiguation). ...

The Red Squirrel collects mushrooms and dries them in trees.^[7][8]

Conservation

The red squirrel is protected in most of Europe, as it is listed in Appendix III of the Bern Convention; it is also listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. In some areas it is abundant and hunted for its fur. Although not thought to be under any threat worldwide, the red squirrel has drastically reduced in numbers in the United Kingdom. Under 140,000 individuals are thought to be left[1], approximately 85% of which are in Scotland. This population decrease is often ascribed to the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America, but the loss and fragmentation of its native woodland habitat has also played a major role. The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 1979, also known as the Bern Convention (or Berne Convention), came into force on June 1, 1982. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... This article is about the country. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

In order to conserve remaining numbers of red squirrels, the UK Government in January 2006 announced a mass culling program for grey squirrels. This was welcomed by many conservation groups. An earlier cull of grey squirrels began in 1998 on the North Wales island of Anglesey. This facilitated the natural recovery of the remaining red squirrels populations and has been followed by the successful reintroduction of red squirrels back into Newborough forest [2]. The UK has established a local program known as the 'North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership', an element of the national Biodiversity Action Plan. This program is administered by the Grampian Squirrel Society, with an aim of protecting the Red squirrel; the program centers on the Banchory and Cults areas. Diademed Sifaka, an endangered primate of Madagascar Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is a an internationally recognized programme addressing threatened species or habitats, which is designed to protect and restore biological systems. ... Grampian (Roinn a Mhonaidh in Gaelic) was a local government region of Scotland from 1975 to 1996. ... , Banchory (Scottish Gaelic: Beannchar) is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... , Cults is a suburb on the western edge of Aberdeen, Scotland. ...

There are also several local conservation groups in the UK; for example the Red Squirrel Conservation group, in Mallerstang, Cumbria- [3]. A dale and parish in the south of Cumbria at the head of the Upper Eden Valley. ... Cumbria (IPA: ), is a shire county in the extreme North West of England. ...

Outside the UK and Ireland, the threat from eastern grey squirrels comes from a population in Piedmont, Italy, where two pairs escaped from captivity in 1948. A significant drop in red squirrel populations in the area has been observed since 1970, and it is feared that eastern grey squirrels may expand into the rest of Europe. For other uses, see Piedmont (disambiguation). ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 ([[Rf 1970 == January 1 - The Unix epoch begins at 00:00:00 UTC January 2 - The last studio performance of The Beatles oman numerals|MCMLXX]]) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The eastern grey squirrel population appears to be able to out-compete the red squirrel for various reasons:

• The eastern grey squirrel can easily digest acorns, while the red squirrel cannot.
• The eastern grey squirrel carries a disease, the squirrel parapoxvirus, that does not appear to affect their health, but will kill most red squirrels.
• When red squirrels are put under pressure, they will not breed as often.

It is worth noting that eastern grey squirrels do not usually attack red squirrels, and direct violent conflict between these species is not a factor in the decline in red squirrel populations. For other uses, see Acorn (disambiguation). ... The Squirrel parapoxvirus is a virus that is fatal to red squirrels. ...

Cultural and economic significance

In Norse mythology, Ratatosk is a red squirrel who runs up and down with messages in the world tree Yggdrasill and spreads gossip. In particular he ferried insults between the eagle at the top of Yggdrasill, and the dragon Níðhöggr beneath its roots. Norse, Viking or Scandinavian mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian peoples, including those who settled on Iceland, where most of the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... This image from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript shows Ratatoskr with a horn. ... Yggdrasil In Norse Mythology, Yggdrasil (also Mimameid and Lerad) was the World tree, a gigantic tree (often suggested to be an ash, an interpretation generally accepted in the modern Scandinavian mind), thought to hold all of the different worlds, such as Asgard, Midgard, Utgard and Hel. ... Níðhöggr gnaws the roots of Yggdrasill in this illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript. ...

Red squirrel used to be widely hunted for its pelt. In Finland squirrel pelts were used as money in the ancient times, before the introduction of currency. The expression "squirrel pelt" is still widely understood to be a reference to money.

On the island of Anglesey, red squirrel conservation forms part of a broader socio-ecomomic project managed by Menter Mon. An island wide cull of grey squirrels has entered a final stage, and red squirrels are now being reintroduced back across the full spectrum of habitats within which they were once found. Some of the released animals can be watched via a live-feed webcam: Red squirrel webcam

Taxonomy and distribution

Juvenile red squirrel

There have been over 40 described subspecies of red squirrel, however the taxonomic status of some of these is uncertain. A study published in 1971 recognises 16 subspecies and has served as a basis for subsequent taxonomic work.^{[9] [10]} Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1296x1990, 189 KB) A european squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) eating a nut. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1296x1990, 189 KB) A european squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) eating a nut. ... This article is about the zoological term. ...

• S. v. altaicus Serebrennikov, 1928
• S. v. anadyrensis Ognev, 1929
• S. v. argenteus Kerr, 1792
• S. v. balcanicus Heinrich, 1936
• S. v. bashkiricus Ognev, 1935
• S. v. fuscoater Altum, 1876
• S. v. fusconigricans Dvigubsky, 1804
• S. v. infuscatus Cabrera, 1905
• S. v. italicus Bonaparte, 1838
• S. v. jacutensis Ognev, 1929
• S. v. jenissejensis Ognev, 1935
• S. v. leucourus Kerr, 1792
• S. v. mantchuricus Thomas, 1909
• S. v. meridionalis Lucifero, 1907
• S. v. rupestris Thomas, 1907
• S. v. vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758

References in popular culture

• Beatrix Potter's children's book The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is about a Eurasian Red Squirrel.
• "Squirrel", one of the chief characters in Alison Uttley's "Little Grey Rabbit" children's books, is a red squirrel (characteristically shown in pictures wearing a green dress with white spots).
• Tufty the squirrel was created in the UK to deliver road safety messages and spawned the "Tufty Club" which at its peak had some two million under fives as members.^[11][12]
• In the film Over the Hedge, Hammy (voiced by Steve Carrell) is a Red Squirrel.
• In the popular children's TV show "Spongebob Squarepants", Sandy Cheeks (voiced by Carolyn Lawrence) is a Red Squirrel.
• Conker the Squirrel from Conker's Bad Fur Day is a Red Squirrel.
• A Red Squirrel appears in the 2006 film Marie Antoinette.
• Ansells Brewery, from Birmingham, England, used a Red Squirrel as their logo.
• Animals of Farthing Wood features Red Squirrels when the group arrive at White Deer Park.

Helen Beatrix Potter (28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943) was an English author and illustrator, botanist, and conservationist, best known for her childrens books, which featured animal characters such as Peter Rabbit. ... The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is a childrens story written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter, first published by Frederick Warne in 1903. ... Alison Uttley (17 December 1884 – 7 May 1976), née Alice Jane Taylor, was a prolific British writer of over 100 books. ... // Overview The Green Cross Code is a brand created by the UK National Road Safety Committee (now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, RoSPA) to raise awareness of pedestrian safety in the UK. The multimedia Green Cross Code campaign began in 1970 and continues today. ... Over the Hedge is a computer-animated film based on the United Media comic strip of the same name. ... Steve Carell Steve Carell (born August 16, 1963 in Concord, Massachusetts) is an American actor. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Carolyn Lawrence is an American voice actress who voices Sandy Cheeks on SpongeBob SquarePants, Cindy Vortex on The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and the title character, Orel Puppington, on Moral Orel. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Conkers Bad Fur Day is a Nintendo 64 video game developed and published by Rare, and distributed by Nintendo. ... Marie Antoinette is an American Academy Award-winning 2006 film written and directed by Sofia Coppola about the life of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. ... Ansells was a brewery in the Aston area of Birmingham, England. ... This article is about the British city. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Animals of Farthing Wood is a series of childrens books written by Colin Dann, which was turned into an animated series by the European Broadcasting Union between 1992 and 1995. ...

References

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Sciurus vulgaris

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