![]() Social organization is based on dominance hierarchies within 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. However, outside the breeding season and particularly in winter, several red squirrels may share a drey to keep warm. The red squirrel is a solitary animal and is shy and reluctant to share food with others. ![]() Tree hollows and woodpecker holes are also used. This is lined with moss, leaves, grass and bark. The squirrel makes a drey (nest) out of twigs in a branch-fork, forming a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter. The red squirrel is found in both coniferous forest and temperate broadleaf woodlands. Ecology and behaviour A red squirrel takes and loses a walnut In most of the British Isles and in Italy, broad-leaved woodlands are now less suitable due to the better competitive feeding strategy of introduced grey squirrels. In western and southern Europe they are found in broad-leaved woods where the mixture of tree and shrub species provides a better year-round source of food. Red squirrels occupy boreal, coniferous woods in northern Europe and Siberia, preferring Scots pine, Norway spruce and Siberian pine. Distribution and habitat Red squirrel in the Urals region, grey winter coat The red colour is for camouflage when seen against the bark of pine trees. A lighter, redder overall coat colour, along with the ear-tufts (in adults) and smaller size, distinguish the Eurasian red squirrel from the American eastern grey squirrel. The red squirrel sheds its coat 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. The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in colour. Red coats are most common in Great Britain in other parts of Europe and Asia different coat colours coexist within populations, much like hair colour in some human populations. There are several coat colour morphs ranging from black to red. ![]() The coat of the red squirrel varies in colour with time of year and location. Its strong hind legs let it leap gaps between trees. The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp curved claws to help it to climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches, and even house walls. 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. The red squirrel is somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head-and-body length of 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) and weighs between 400 and 800 g (14 oz and 1 lb 12 oz). The red squirrel has a typical head-and-body length of 19 to 23 cm ( 7 + 1⁄ 2 to 9 in), a tail length of 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in), and a mass of 250 to 340 g (9 to 12 oz). Description Underparts are generally white-cream-coloured Profile of the Eurasian red squirrel in grey winter coat Skull of a red squirrel However, the population in Scotland is stabilising due to conservation efforts, awareness and the increasing population of the pine marten, a European predator that selectively controls grey squirrels. This decline is associated with the introduction by humans of the eastern grey squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis) from North America. In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers have decreased drastically in recent years. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent. ![]() The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Europe and Asia.
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