Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

The Red Squirrel is a species that is native to the UK, and is a tree dwelling animal, that has evolved to be an excellent climber, and forager.

http://www.redsquirrels.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/squirrel-red.jpg < image reference at this link.

The Red Squirrel today is much more rarer than it was in the past, and its future as a species is highly uncertain.
This is mainly due to a few factors such as hunting, but mainly the introduction of the American Grey Squirrel, which is classed as an invasive species, when it came to British shores in the 19th century.

http://www.swpms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Grey-Squirrel.jpg < image reference at this link.

The Grey squirrel brought with it the fatal Parapoxvirus virus, which the Red Squirrel had no immunity to, which caused Red Squirrel populations to decline, with its numbers currently at around 140,000, whilst the grey squirrel is at a rough population of 2.5 million, outnumbering them greatly.

The Red Squirrel is coming back slowly in numbers due to projects specialised to recover their numbers, however still remains dominated by the Grey Squirrel.

http://www.fowberry-alpacas.com/images/uploads/redsquirrel12.jpg < image reference at this link.

This animal is unmistakably a beautiful staple of Britain's wildlife, and a species that I feel holds a definitive place in my zine.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/9/25/1316960102894/Red-squirrel-Sciurus-vulg-007.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/animal-facts/grey-squirrel
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/redsquirrel







Thomas.