{"id":20877,"date":"2022-11-08T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2022-11-08T11:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=17320"},"modified":"2022-11-08T13:03:14","modified_gmt":"2022-11-08T12:03:14","slug":"red-squirrel-guide-how-to-identify-and-best-places-to-see-in-britain","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/red-squirrel-guide-how-to-identify-and-best-places-to-see-in-britain\/","title":{"rendered":"Red squirrel guide: how to identify and best places to see in Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Dominic Couzens\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 08 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Britain\u2019s native red squirrels first appeared 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age when the land between Britain and Europe began to disappear. They are now endangered<\/a> in the UK, with the dominant grey squirrel out-competing the reds and driving them to specific areas in the UK. However, recent studies have shown that the reintroduction of pine martens<\/a> to woodland habitats benefits red squirrel populations, and suppresses populations of grey squirrels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Our expert guide to red squirrels explains the difference between the UK\u2019s two main species of squirrel \u2013 the grey and red, key characteristics and the best places to see them in Britain.<\/p>\n

What do red squirrels eat?<\/h2>\n
Tree seeds, fungi<\/a>, berries, birds\u2019 eggs and even sap are eaten by red squirrels. They love hazelnuts but have trouble digesting acorns, unlike grey squirrels, who love them. Red squirrels like to look after their teeth by gnawing on pieces of dead deer antler, which are full of calcium.<\/p>\n
Squirrels have an exceptionally good sense of smell. They can find buried food underneath a foot of snow and know if a nut is rotten without opening it.<\/p>\n

How do red squirrels live?<\/h2>\n
Squirrels make more than one drey (nest) to confuse predators and in case one gets damaged. They will abandon a drey if it is too full of fleas. Fungi may be taken to the drey to dry out, and, because red squirrels don\u2019t hibernate, they bury other leftover food in holes or crevices to be eaten when food is scarce.<\/p>\n
How long do red squirrels live?<\/h2>\n
Red squirrels live an average of three years, although they have been known to live up to 10 years in captivity.<\/p>\n
Do grey squirrels kill red squirrels?<\/h2>\n
Grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from North America by the Victorians in the 1800s. Unlike red squirrels, greys are able to digest green acorns. They also have a superior memory, allowing them to recover their own caches \u2013 and steal those of the red squirrels. \u2018Squirrel pox\u2019 virus, carried by grey squirrels, has also contributed the die-back of reds.<\/p>\n
Squirrelpox is a deadly virus transmitted by grey squirrels, but which only affects red squirrels. There is evidence, however, that some reds are also developing immunity to it. Red and grey squirrels cannot breed together.<\/p>\n
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