The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), also known as the Eurasian red squirrel, is a tree-dwelling rodent found throughout Eurasia. It has a head-and-body length of 19 to 23 cm (7.5 to 9.1 in), a tail length of 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 in), and weighs between 250 to 340 g (8.8 to 12.0 oz). Both males and females are of similar size. Their long tails aid in balance and warmth.
Red squirrels have varying coat colors depending on the season and geography, ranging from black to red, with red being common in Great Britain. They shed their coats twice a year, transitioning to a thicker winter coat with larger ear tufts, which helps distinguish them from eastern grey squirrels.
They inhabit boreal forests in northern Europe and Siberia, favoring species like Scots pine and Norway spruce. In western and southern Europe, they also thrive in broad-leaved woodlands. Unfortunately, red squirrel populations have declined in Great Britain, Ireland, and Italy due to competition from the eastern grey squirrel, though efforts are stabilizing their numbers in Scotland.
Red squirrels build nests (dreys) from twigs and line them with moss, leaves, and bark. Although mostly solitary, they may share dreys in colder weather. Their social structure involves dominance hierarchies, with larger and older individuals typically being dominant.
Their diet consists mainly of tree seeds, fungi, nuts, berries, and occasionally bird eggs or nestlings.
