Red squirrel

The red squirrel or Eurasian 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.

This article is about the Eurasian species of squirrel. For the North American species of squirrel commonly known as the red squirrel, see American red squirrel. For other uses, see Red squirrel (disambiguation).

Red squirrel
Near Alverstone, Isle of Wight
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Sciurus
Species:
S. vulgaris
Binomial name
Sciurus vulgaris
Subspecies

23 recognized, see text

Red squirrel range

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.

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