UK red squirrels face a number of threats, but one of the most devastating is squirrel pox. This viral disease, carried harmlessly by invasive grey squirrels, has contributed significantly to their decline. What is squirrel pox? Squirrel pox is a fatal, yet easily transmitted disease that affects red squirrels. When did squirrel pox first arrive in […]
Tag: grey squirrel
This peculiar rodent is the size of a domestic cat and weirdly covered in bands of deep, rich reds and blues
Squirrels don’t come much bigger than the Malabar giant variety. Weighing four times as much as a grey squirrel and much bigger than the red squirrel, this robust rodent is about the size of a domestic cat. But it’s not the Malabar giant’s size that turns heads and drops jaws, but rather its colour scheme. Meet the rainbow […]
The world’s deadliest rat that’s poisonous enough to kill an elephant, a mouse that hunts venomous scorpions – The 9 weirdest rodents on the planet
Some rodents are enormous – like the cat-sized Indian giant squirrel – while others have impressive adaptations, from star-shaped tentacled noses to webbed feet. One even holds the title for the most mating sessions in the animal kingdom. Whether they fly, swim or even defy ageing itself, these unusual rodents are anything but ordinary. Weirdest rodents […]
Red squirrels expand across Highlands after 10-year reintroduction drive
Red squirrels have expanded their range across the Highlands by more than a quarter after a 10-year reintroduction programme moved hundreds to new homes. The species once came close to extinction in Britain when foresters killed them as pests and their natural habitat was destroyed. A deadly virus carried by invasive grey squirrels has hampered […]
Red squirrel vs grey squirrel: Think you know how they differ? Think again as the differences between these two squirrels will surprise you
Despite being two different species of squirrel the grey and red squirrel do share some similarities, says Mark Henderson from the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. Both squirrels are arboreal (tree dwelling) and diurnal (out and about in the day). Their primary food source is generally the nuts and seeds of trees, but is supplemented by […]