<\/p>
Despite being two different species of squirrel the grey and red squirrel do share some similarities, says Mark Henderson from the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. <\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Both squirrels are arboreal (tree dwelling) and diurnal<\/span> (out and about in the day)<\/span>. <\/span>Their<\/span> p<\/span>rimary f<\/span>ood source is generally the nuts and seeds of trees, but is supplemented by fungi, fruits, <\/span>leaves, buds, <\/span>nectar and sometimes songbird eggs and nestlings. <\/span><\/p>\n Their tails are roughly equal in length to their entire body<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> There are two mating seasons during the year, assuming they are well fed and healthy and produce a similar <\/span>litter size of 3 to 6 kits. Their nests are called <\/span>dreys<\/span> and are an untidy \u201cfootball-sized\u201d ball of twigs but are difficult to spot from the ground. Unlike birds\u2019 nests<\/a>, they are built very close to the trunk or in strong forks and most <\/span>squirrels <\/span>will have two or three <\/span>dreys<\/span> and move between them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, there are considerable differences\u2026<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Grey squirrels<\/a><\/strong> are larger and heavier than red squirrels<\/a><\/strong>. Greys average 48cm <\/span>(<\/span>including tail<\/span>) in length which is 26 per cent\/10cm more than the average for reds. In weight however, the greys average 575g compared to the red average of 305g, a difference of almost 90 per cent in favour of the more stocky\/muscular grey. <\/span><\/p>\n Telling the difference based on colour <\/span>only can be difficult as greys can have a red\/brown tinge to their fur, and reds, particularly those that originate from Northern Europe\/Scandinavia can grow a noticeable grey winter coat.<\/p>\n Almost all reds will grow the characteristic ear tufts but only during winter. <\/span>The safest way to tell them apart is to look at the tail. The grey squirrel tail fur is white coloured at the end. This gives a sort of halo\/shimmer look, whereas the red squirrel tail fur is all the same <\/span>colour<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the difference between a red squirrel and a grey squirrel?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Red squirrel vs grey squirrel: <\/span>appearance<\/span><\/h3>\n