Squirrel

Here are some interesting facts about the red Squirrel  

Scientific name              Sciurus vulgaris 

Did you know?…

 
The red squirrel is protected in most of Europe (listed in the Appendix III of the Bern Convention)  

  1. The red squirrel population has decreased in the UK, the number of individuals is thought to be 120,000 with 75% of this population living in Scotland
  2. The average size of a red squirrel is 19-23 cm, head to body with an average tail length of 15-20 cm
  3. Red Squirrels weigh between 250 and 240g
  4. It is thought that the long tail helps the squirrel to keep its balance and steer when it is jumping from tree to tree, it may also keep the animal warm whilst it sleeps
  5. Red squirrels shed their coats twice a year switching between a thinner coat in summer and a darker, thicker winter coat
  6. Mating occurs in February and March and in summer between June and July.
  7. Average size litters are 3-4 but can be as large as 6
  8. Gestation periods for squirrels is about 38-39 days
  9. Squirrels have multiple partners and mate many times during their lives
  10. The lifespan of a red squirrel is on average 3 years although in captivity they have been known to live for 10 years
  11. The nest of a squirrel is known as a drey
  12. Despite the solitary nature of the red squirrels, outside of the breeding seasons they sometimes will share dreys in order to keep warm
  13. The dominant animals in the squirrel communities are normally the largest, dominance is not related to sex
  14. Red squirrels eat seeds of trees, fungi, bird’s eggs, berries and young shoots
  15. 60-80% of the active period may be spent foraging and feeding
  16. Excess food is put into caches or buried in holes or nooks in the trees and eaten when food is scarce
  17. Red squirrels can not remember where they created caches, they have to search for them when in need and many caches are never found again

 

 
 
Protosciurus- The first known squirrelThe oldest squirrel fossil in the world was found in North America and is thought to be 34 million years old. These animals have not changed much over the millions of years. Protosciurus was found to have a very primitive dentition and jaw muscles but the same unique ear structure of the modern squirrel.  The word squirrel comes from the Greek word “Skiouros”. “Skia” means shade and “oura” means tail. Thus “skiouros” means “he who sits in the shadow of his own tail”. Centuries later the French developed the noun “esquirrel” from which the English “squirrel” is derived.  In Britain the first signs of the red squirrel appeared over 10,000 years ago after the last ice age when the land bridge between Britain and Europe began to subside. From the 15th and 16th Century onwards the red squirrel population declined in the North due to timber felling needed for ships in times of war. However, during the nineteenth century there was a replanting initiative to replace the trees lost through industry. A positive effect of the replanting was that the red squirrel returned in abundance.  The first pair of American grey squirrels were released in Henbury Park in Cheshire by Mr Brocklehurst in 1876. There were further releases of the grey until the 1930s when it became illegal to introduce any more into the wild.  At the present day there are only an estimated 120,000 red squirrels in Britain as opposed to 3 million greys.