Red Squirrels

Most of us will have seen the grey squirrel , scampering about. Hunting among the leaves for acorns and seeds. However Britain's native squirrels are the red ones. Today they are rarely seen , apart from in some protected areas and parts of Scotland.Currently there are approximately on 140 000 red squirrels in Britain in comparison to 2.5 million grey squirrels. The grey squirrels have caused a decline in the indigenous red squirrels.

Red Squirrels build their homes in trees. The homes are called drays. Red Squirrels are fairly solitary creatures coming together only to mate. In the winter months , related squirrels may share drays for warmth.
Squirrels produce young called kittens, they are born in early spring. Females normally produce a litter of two to three however there can be as many as 6 born up to 48 days after mating.

Young squirrels are weaned off the mothers' milk after 10-12 weeks when they have gained a full set of teeth.

Red squirrels are seed eaters. They favour pine cones, but also eat larch and spruce. Their diet also includes fungi, shoots and fruits of shrubs and trees, and sometimes birds' eggs. They can choose between good and bad nuts by holding them in their paws. Reds do not hibernate and store fungi in trees to eat over the winter months. When food is plentiful, they put on weight in the autumn to help them through the winter. This is important for breeding females, so that they are in good condition for producing young.

Source: www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/red squirrel