Eurasian Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
Red squirrels can find buried food caches under a foot of snow using their keen sense of smell, though they often forget where many are hidden, helping forests regenerate.
- Scientific name
- Sciurus vulgaris
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Rodentia › Sciuridae › Sciurus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Coniferous and temperate deciduous forests
- Diet
- Conifer seeds, hazelnuts, acorns, fungi, berries, tree sap, and occasionally bird eggs
- Range
- Europe, Northern Asia, Siberia, Mongolia, Hokkaido
- Size
- Body length of 19-23 cm, tail length of 15-20 cm, weighing 250-340 grams
- Lifespan
- 3 to 7 years in the wild
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Competition and disease transmission (Squirrelpox) from the invasive Eastern Grey Squirrel, and habitat fragmentation
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and generally shy. Observe from a distance of 5 to 10 meters to watch their natural behavior. Do not attempt to handle or hand-feed them, as they may bite if startled. If bitten, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice to prevent infection.
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ) is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, omnivorous rodent.
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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