The Two Species of Squirrel in the UK.
The difficult co-existence of the red squirrel and the grey squirrel in the UK began in the 1870s, when the grey squirrel was imported and released into the wild by the Victorians. Red and grey squirrels cannot interbreed, nor are they able to share territories. Red squirrels are aggressive, territorial and unsociable in character. After centuries of contest between these two different species, there is now an uneasy truce in the UK. The grey squirrels occupy most of the country, with the red squirrels surviving in Angelsey, parts of Northern England and Scotland.
Identifying the Red Squirrel and the Grey Squirrel.
In appearance, the red squirrel has a red-coloured coat and tail, with noticeable tufts of fur on their ears. Sometimes this colour can vary from a pale golden shade, to a dark brown. The grey squirrel has a tail with an outer fringe of white or silver hairs. Its coat is usually silver-grey. However, it can also be a reddish brown colour, and this sometimes leads to mis-identification. The tail is the deciding factor in identifying the two species of squirrel. When seen together, the red squirrel is generally smaller, at 18 – 24 cms, and weighs between 280 and 330 gms. The heavier grey squirrel (400 – 650 gms) measures 24 – 29 cms.
Range and Status of the Red Squirrel and the Grey Squirrel
Although rare in the UK, the red squirrel has a native range that includes Europe, Siberia, Mongolia and Northern China. The grey squirrel is a native of eastern North America. In the UK there are now 2.7 million grey squirrels, compared with a population of fewer than 287,000 red squirrels. As a result of this imbalance, the red squirrel is now a protected species under the UK’s Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is listed as a priority species in the post 2010 Biodiversity Framework. And it is classed as near-threatened in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, the grey squirrel is labelled an invasive non-native species in the UK, and an invasive alien species in Europe.
Threats to the Squirrel Polulation
Natural threats to the red squirrel and the grey squirrel include disease, habitat destruction, traffic accidents and predators. A series of hard winters and an outbreak of coccidiosis led to the disappearance of the red squirrel over most of England by the 1990s. Squirrel Pox also hit the red squirrel hard, although the grey squirrel is immune to this virus. The grey squirrel is considered to be the cause of the disease. Yet out of 44 districts where red squirrels were affected, only 4 areas had grey squirrels present. However, grey squirrels are stronger and better adapted to British broadleaf woodlands.
Squirrels in Children’s books
Squirrels are known to be the most intelligent of the rodents. As such, their antics have amused children in many delightful books. Beatrix Potter wrote about a clever red squirrel in “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin” (1903), and a rather greedy grey squirrel in “The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes” (1911). More up-to-date children’s books about squirrels include “Evergreen Wood” by Luke and Linda Perry, and “Goodbye, Winter! Hello, Spring!” by Kazuo Iwamura. In 1953, Elsie Mills created a red squirrel character to introduce clear and simple safety messages to children. Tufty Fluffytail appeared in books and on television, and 30,000 Tufty books about road safety were sold. Following this, the Tufty Club was formed in 1961 for children under five years of age. By the 1970s, the Tufty Club had 25,000 branches all over the UK, and the club continued into the 1980s.
Goldcrest Gallery’s first picture book for children features an endearing grey squirrel. “A New Friend for Squirrel” is about how the hungry Squirrel receives help to find food in snowy winter weather. Squirrel appears on three of our children’s greeting cards. And some of the lovely illustrations from “A New Friend for Squirrel” are also available as A4 fine art prints. See if you can spot the lively, friendly Squirrel when you next visit the Goldcrest Gallery Children’s Corner, or view this selection of cards & prints!