Red Squirrel Forum for South Scotland
MEET Sciurus carolinensis
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The grey squirrel is around twice the size of the red squirrel when fully grown
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It is native to North America but was introduced to the UK as novel ‘improvement’ to the diversity of wildlife on estates in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries
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The Grey squirrel, together with the squirrelpox virus that it can carry without ill effect, are considered to be the main threats to the protected red squirrel in UK
Identifying a Grey Squirrel
Grey squirrels can be entirely grey above and white below. But their fur can be gingery-brown down the back, along the flanks, and on the tail, limbs and feet. Some individuals can be very dark (melanic) above. They have a long bushy tail with a distinct white fringe or ‘halo’, and they never have ear tufts.
