Much smaller than their Grey European cousins the Red Squirrels are instantly recognisable by their red fur, ear tufts and long, fluffy tails. Prior to the late 1800’s the red squirrels were the only squirrel species in Europe. This changed unfortunately when the grey squirrels were introduced from America to the UK in the late 1800s. Though reds are still plentiful across Europe and northern Asia, they have been almost wiped out by the Grey Squirrels in this country. Red squirrels can live in all types of woodland, they spend most of their time in the treetops and often have several dreys which they can use as a means of escape from predators when and if the need arises. Most of their day is spent searching for food, namely seeds and acorns.  

Their dreys are quite large and made of twigs which they weave into a football sized nest,  they line the inside with moss, leaves and other types of vegetation and build them  in the forked branches of a tree. They are generally solitary mammals, only coming together to mate. During bouts of bitterly cold weather the squirrels will often share their dray in order to keep warm.

Red squirrels produce their young in March time and can reproduce a second family in the summer if the weather conditions are favourable. The females usually have between 2-3 kittens. It is a tough environment for the young ‘kit’s’as they are born blind, deaf and hairless and are totally dependent on their mother,  only 20 to 50 per cent of them manage to survive to adulthood. The youngsters are weaned off their mother's milk after about 8 - 12 weeks once they have developed a complete set of teeth.

Red squirrels are primarily seed eaters. They favour pine cones, but also eat larch and spruce. Their diet also includes fungi, shoots and fruits of shrubs and trees, and sometimes birds' eggs. They can choose between good and bad nuts by holding them in their paws. Reds do not hibernate and store fungi in trees to eat over the winter months. When food is plentiful, they put on weight in the autumn to help them through the winter. This is important for breeding females, so that they are in good condition for producing young.

The main threats to the survival of the reds are the increasing number of grey squirrels, disease (squirrel poxvirus) and road traffic. Greys can feed more efficiently in broadleaved woodlands

The main predators of red squirrels are birds of prey, such as goshawks and pine marten. In some urban areas, such as Jersey, domestic cats are also a threat when squirrels go into gardens to feed.