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Red squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Identification: Its creamy white underside and reddish-brown upper-parts distinguish the red squirrel from its introduced cousin, the grey squirrel. It is the only native UK squirrel species.

Diet: Their diet consists of tree seeds, although they will eat flowers, berries, fungi and sometimes even insects.

Habitat: Broadleaved and deciduous woodland.

Lifestyle: The breeding season can last from January to September, and red squirrels often breed twice a year, once in the spring and again in the summer, depending on food availability. In Denbighshire, we are lucky to still have a population of red squirrels in Clocaenog forest.

Conservation status: In England and Wales red squirrels have declined significantly since the introduction of the grey squirrel and now only a few remnant populations remain. In Scotland they are more widespread. Red squirrels are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.