Red Squirrel minus ear tufts…
Scotland has two squirrel species: the native red and the grey which was introduced... Originally from the North American East Coast, the grey squirrel was brought over in the 1890’s. The population in and around Loch Lomond is said to have been introduced in 1892, when a pair were released from Finnart on the shore of Loch Long. From there they spread out and reached eastern Loch Lomond by 1915.
Our red squirrels are thought to have come from North America too but much further back in time. Possibly about 14500 years ago when geologists now think there was a bridge of sand islands between America, Greenland and Europe.
The problem with the grey squirrel introduction was that they out-competed the smaller reds. For example. they are able to digest acorns which have high tannin levels whereas the reds cannot. The bigger greys don’t ever seem to attack the reds but they do carry a disease called squirrelpox that is still deadly to the red population. However with the disease now mainly restricted to south east Scotland, and with proactive squirrel management, the reds are making a bit of a comeback. Scotland has about 75% of the UK population of red squirrels, which represents about 115,000 individuals.
You’ll often hear red squirrels before you see them as they chatter to each other or even stamp their feet when an intruder approaches. About the size of a man’s hand with the tail about the same again, their colour can range from a rusty orange to a deep brown but they usually have the characteristic ear tufts that make them so cute. Interestingly, the red squirrel in the picture is missing its ear tufts. This is because their tufts moult off in late summer and regrow again in late autumn. All part of the red’s transformation into its warmer winter coat.
Both squirrels have ankles that swivel 180 degrees which means they can run up and down trees without having to go backwards.
Reds mainly eat seeds or nuts but when these are scarce they will eat berries, shoots, fungi and even bird’s eggs. Like their grey cousins, they don’t hibernate during the winter but sleep a lot and snuggle up for warmth in their dreys. They also hide caches of food to see them through the winter but lose about 25% of their store to other animals or simply forget where they put their stash. If territories overlap, greys will often steal the red’s caches which may result in the female reds having one litter the following spring instead of two.
Grey Squirrel hiding acorns
Now back in the southern reaches of Loch Lomond the red’s long-time predator, the pine martin, a member of the weasel family, has followed them into West Dunbartonshire...