Red Squirrels in the United Kingdom

The Problem - Facts, Threats and Conservation

Nov 16, 2009 Jennifer Young

Red squirrels are threatened in the UK by the expansion of their grey North American cousins. As their range shrinks, conservation groups are working to protect them.

Almost everyone is familiar with Beatrix Potter’s Squirrel Nutkin, and for many people the image of him and his fellow squirrels crossing the lake on leaves, using their tails as sails, is a cherished childhood memory. And while there are still many places where the red squirrel does occupy a rural idyll as presented by Miss Potter, the truth is that its current position in the United Kingdom is rather more precarious.

Some Key Facts About Red Squirrels

The red squirrel (scientific name Sciurus vulgaris) is, as its name suggests, reddish-brown in colour with a lighter underside, though there can be considerable variation in the colour of coat. Red squirrels are typically around 40cm in length, weighing in at between 280-350g. Just under half of their length is the distinctive fluffy tail. They also have characteristically tufted ears.

Squirrels can live in both deciduous and coniferous woodlands, although as seeds are a key feature of their diet they prefer an environment with a significant proportion of conifers. In general their diet is varied and includes flowers, leaves, fruit and fungi, as well as insects and, occasionally, birds’ eggs. They do not hibernate, but bury food for use during the winter when such resources are scarce.

Red squirrels live in tall trees, either in holes in the tree trunk or in nests, known as dreys, which are typically located high up in large trees and where the female will produce and rear her young. They are relatively shy and, though largely solitary in nature, will occasionally share nests, especially to keep warm during the winter.

Red Squirrels in the United Kingdom

Red squirrels are native to Eurasia, extending across the European continent as far as Siberia and into northern Asia. While common throughout most of this huge area, their range in the United Kingdom has been much reduced since the introduction of the North American grey squirrel in 1876. Larger and more aggressive, the grey squirrels have expanded rapidly at the expense of the reds and are now a common sight in cities, gardens and parks.

The expansion of the grey squirrel contributed to a dramatic decline in the red squirrel population which already suffered from a relatively high mortality rate. At the present time the Forestry Commission estimates that there are around 140,000 red squirrels in the UK, the vast majority in Scotland. By comparison, there are around two and a half million of their grey cousins.

Part of the reason for this is that grey squirrels are more efficient feeders, with each hectare of broadleaved woodland able to support up to eight grey squirrels. For red squirrels, the equivalent density is one animal per hectare. While the two species are able to coexist in some areas where there are sufficient resources, competition tends to favour the incomers.

A further problem for the red squirrel is that the greys are bearers of disease. Squirrel poxvirus is carried and transmitted by the greys, to whom it is harmless. To the red squirrels, however, it is fatal. Add to this predation by some species, habitat loss and other factors – most notably the motor car – and the result is that the UK’s red squirrels are in a precarious position.

Conservation Measures: Protecting the UK’s Red Squirrels

Numerous groups have joined together, with government support, in an attempt to stabilise, and possibly increase, the UK’s red squirrel population. These include the Forestry Commission, the national natural heritage bodies for England, Wales and Scotland, as well as many other local and national wildlife and conservation groups and even local business interests. Umbrella groups have been formed, among them the UK Red Squirrel Group.

Measures being developed to protect the red squirrel vary from place to place but include:

Population monitoring in critical areas throughout the UK, including Northumberland, Norfolk, Anglesey, the Highlands and Tayside
Habitat protection, including development of land management programmes to protect and encourage existing red squirrel populations
Removal of grey squirrels through the use of selective (weight-controlled) traps which capture the heavier greys and not the reds, in order to control their expansion.

Where to see Red Squirrel in the UK

The Forestry Commission publishes an extensive online listing of where to see red squirrels. Scotland, with almost 85% of the UK’s red squirrels, is the most obvious location, with many sites in the Borders, Highlands, Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll and Bute. In England, the most likely places are in Cumbria and Northumberland, while Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Anglesey are their primary habitat in Wales.

The copyright of the article Red Squirrels in the United Kingdom in Mammals is owned by Jennifer Young. Permission to republish Red Squirrels in the United Kingdom in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.