Red squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris, the red squirrel (Sciuridae), has a head-body length of 19–23 cm, a tail of 15–20 cm and a weight of 250–340 g. Coat colour varies from red and chestnut to brown, grey and black, and long ear tufts grow in winter. It ranges across the coniferous and temperate broadleaf forests of Eurasia, from Ireland to Siberia, Mongolia and northern Xinjiang. It feeds mainly on conifer seeds, nuts and acorns, cached in scattered hoards, and does not hibernate. IUCN assessed it as Least Concern in 2023, though British numbers have declined sharply.