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.<\/p>\n
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 fungi, fruits, leaves, buds, nectar and sometimes songbird eggs and nestlings.<\/p>\n
Their tails are roughly equal in length to their entire body.<\/p>\n
There are two mating seasons during the year, assuming they are well fed and healthy and produce a similar litter size of 3 to 6 kits. Their nests are called dreys and are an untidy \u201cfootball-sized\u201d ball of twigs but are difficult to spot from the ground. Unlike birds\u2019 nests, they are built very close to the trunk or in strong forks and most squirrels will have two or three dreys and move between them.<\/p>\n
However, there are considerable differences…<\/p>\n
What’s the difference between a red squirrel and a grey squirrel?<\/strong><\/p>\n Red squirrel vs grey squirrel: appearance<\/strong><\/p>\n Grey squirrels are larger and heavier than red squirrels. Greys average 48cm (including tail) in length which is 26 per cent\/10cm more than the average for reds. In weight however, the greys average 575g compared to the red average of 305g, a difference of almost 90 per cent in favour of the more stocky\/muscular grey.<\/p>\n Telling the difference based on colour only can be difficult as greys can have a red\/brown tinge to their fur, and reds, particularly those that originate from Northern Europe\/Scandinavia can grow a noticeable grey winter coat.<\/p>\n Almost all reds will grow the characteristic ear tufts but only during winter. The safest way to tell them apart is to look at the tail. The grey squirrel tail fur is white coloured at the end. This gives a sort of halo\/shimmer look, whereas the red squirrel tail fur is all the same colour.<\/p>\n