You might think you know what a red squirrel looks like and indeed, most of the time they’re very easy to identify. But there is a wide range of colour variation in red squirrels and some can appear more grey than red. Both reds and greys have a white belly.
Did you know?
- Red squirrels moult twice a year, in spring and autumn. In the summer their ear tufts thin out and often disappear completely. The ear tufts and tail often turn paler in the summer.
- Some red squirrels can actually be black! Melanistic individuals are commonly seen in the eastern part of their European range, particularly in mountainous areas.
- The species found in the UK is the Eurasian red squirrel but there are various other species of red or red-looking squirrels found around the world.
