View allAll Photos Tagged TreeSquirrel
A few weeks ago I saw a single baby Red Squirrel mostly hairless. Recently when I was out on the hillside overlooking the meadow, I saw two scrambling through the blackberry bushes. They are such cute squirrels and when the paw helped with the steadiness, I snapped away. I love seeing their mauve bodies as the lovely rust-red fur comes in. It is supposed to snow this week so I hope they have developed
more fur!
Thank you so very much!
The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers have decreased drastically in recent years. This decline is associated with the introduction by humans of the eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) from North America. However, the population in Scotland is stabilising due to conservation efforts, awareness and the increasing population of the pine marten, a European predator that selectively controls grey squirrels.
The red squirrel has a typical head-and-body length of 19 to 23 cm (7+1⁄2 to 9 in), a tail length of 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in), and a mass of 250 to 340 g (9 to 12 oz). Males and females are the same size. The red squirrel is somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head-and-body length of 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) and weighs between 400 and 800 g (14 oz and 1 lb 12 oz).
The long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and running along branches and may keep the animal warm during sleep.
The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp curved claws to help it to climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches, and even house walls. Its strong hind legs let it leap gaps between trees. The red squirrel also can swim.
The coat of the red squirrel varies in colour with time of year and location. There are several coat colour morphs ranging from black to red. Red coats are most common in Great Britain; in other parts of Europe and Asia different coat colours coexist within populations, much like hair colour in some human populations.
The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in colour. The red squirrel sheds its coat twice a year, switching from a thinner summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat with noticeably larger ear-tufts (a prominent distinguishing feature of this species) between August and November. A lighter, redder overall coat colour, along with the ear-tufts (in adults) and smaller size, distinguish the Eurasian red squirrel from the American eastern grey squirrel.
The red colour is for camouflage when seen against the bark of pine trees.
Red squirrels occupy boreal, coniferous woods in northern Europe and Siberia, preferring Scots pine, Norway spruce and Siberian pine. In western and southern Europe they are found in broad-leaved woods where the mixture of tree and shrub species provides a better year-round source of food. In most of the British Isles and in Italy, broad-leaved woodlands are now less suitable due to the better competitive feeding strategy of introduced grey squirrels.
American Red Squirrel eating a nut.
Between 10 5/8 and 15 1/4 inches long. The smallest tree squirrel in its range. Rust-red to grayish red above, brightest on sides; white or grayish-white below. In winter black lines separate reddish back from whitish belly. Tail is similar to back color, but is outlined with broad black band edged with white. In summer its coat is duller. In winter has prominent ear tufts.
They are often abundant in any kind of forest: natural coniferous forests, pine plantations, mixed or hardwood forests; often around buildings.
They range throughout much of Alaska and Canada; in the continental United States south through the Rocky Mountain states and east from Iowa to north Virginia. They are also in the Alleghenies.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
Eastern Gray Squirrel.
Between 17 to 19 3/4 inches long. Gray above with buff underfur showing especially on the head, shoulders, back and feet. Flattened bushy tail whch is gray with silvery tipped hairs.
In Canada, some have rufous bellies and tails. Black phase common in northern parts of their range.
Their habitat is hardwood or mixed forests with nut trees, especially oak-hickroy forests.
They range from the eastern U.S. east of south Manitoba, east North Dakota, most of Iowa, east Kansas, east Oklahoma and east Texas.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
Eastern Gray Squirrel.
Between 17 to 19 3/4 inches long. Gray above with buff underfur showing especially on the head, shoulders, back and feet. Flattened bushy tail whch is gray with silvery tipped hairs.
In Canada, some have rufous bellies and tails. Black phase common in northern parts of their range.
Their habitat is hardwood or mixed forests with nut trees, especially oak-hickroy forests.
They range from the eastern U.S. east of south Manitoba, east North Dakota, most of Iowa, east Kansas, east Oklahoma and east Texas.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
American Red Squirrel.
Between 10 5/8 and 15 1/4 inches long. The smallest tree squirrel in its range. Rust-red to grayish red above, brightest on sides; white or grayish-white below. In winter black lines separate reddish back from whitish belly. Tail is similar to back color, but is outlined with broad black band edged with white. In summer its coat is duller. In winter has prominent ear tufts.
They are often abundant in any king of forest: natural coniferous forests, pine plantations, mixed or hardwood forests; often around buildings.
They range throughout much of Alaska and Canada; in the U.S. south through the Rocky Mountain states, in the east south to Iowa, north Illinois, north Indiana, north Ohio, north Virginia and through the Alleghenies.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
I will be having less of them now since I had to stop feeding them,
It attracted mice from the farm and I was told by the animal control I need to stop putting seeds in the bird feeders,
I will stop for now till the cost is clear.
The animal control actually is the exterminator,
American Red Squirrel.
Between 10 5/8 and 15 1/4 inches long. The smallest tree squirrel in its range. Rust-red to grayish red above, brightest on sides; white or grayish-white below. In winter black lines separate reddish back from whitish belly. Tail is similar to back color, but is outlined with broad black band edged with white. In summer its coat is duller. In winter has prominent ear tufts.
They are often abundant in any kind of forest: natural coniferous forests, pine plantations, mixed or hardwood forests; often around buildings.
They range throughout much of Alaska and Canada; in the U.S. south through the Rocky Mountain states, in the east south to Iowa, north Illinois, north Indiana, north Ohio, north Virginia and through the Alleghenies.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
It was calling its mate. I photographed this little creature not far from the Baobab tree near the Shimuwini Bushveld Camp, on the banks of the Letaba River.
I thought the dusting of red on the spring coat was a nice variation to see on this Eastern Gray squirrel
American Red Squirrel.
Between 10 5/8 and 15 1/4 inches long. The smallest tree squirrel in its range. Rust-red to grayish red above, brightest on sides; white or grayish-white below. In winter black lines separate reddish back from whitish belly. Tail is similar to back color, but is outlined with broad black band edged with white. In summer its coat is duller. In winter has prominent ear tufts.
They are often abundant in any king of forest: natural coniferous forests, pine plantations, mixed or hardwood forests; often around buildings.
They range throughout much of Alaska and Canada; in the U.S. south through the Rocky Mountain states, in the east south to Iowa, north Illinois, north Indiana, north Ohio, north Virginia and through the Alleghenies.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.
American Red Squirrel.
Between 10 5/8 and 15 1/4 inches long. The smallest tree squirrel in its range. Rust-red to grayish red above, brightest on sides; white or grayish-white below. In winter black lines separate reddish back from whitish belly. Tail is similar to back color, but is outlined with broad black band edged with white. In summer its coat is duller. In winter has prominent ear tufts.
They are often abundant in any king of forest: natural coniferous forests, pine plantations, mixed or hardwood forests; often around buildings.
They range throughout much of Alaska and Canada; in the U.S. south through the Rocky Mountain states, in the east south to Iowa, north Illinois, north Indiana, north Ohio, north Virginia and through the Alleghenies.
Kensington Metropark, Livingston County, Michigan.