#sciurina

European red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris cinerea)

Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Also known as: Eurasian red squirrel

The red squirrel is smaller than its more well-known cousin, the gray squirrel. They do not hibernate and lay down stores of food to see them through periods when fresh food is not available. They mainly eat pine seeds but are known to take insects, fungi and birds' eggs. Red squirrels build nests, called dreys, from sticks and moss placed high in the branches. They produce two litters of three to four kittens a year, usually in March and July. Red squirrels can live for up to six years. There are 23 recognized subspecies at present, though historically, there have been over 40.

Classification Animalia - Chordata - Mammalia - Eutheria - Boreoeutheria - Euarchontoglires - Glires - Rodentia - Sciuromorpha - Sciuridae - Sciurinae - Sciurini - Sciurina - Sciurus - S. vulgaris