![]() ![]() Grey squirrels have a wide range of calls including territorial barks or even ‘quacking’ noises. Sometimes the squirrel may make its nest in a hollow trunk or take over a rook’s nest, constructing a roof for it. A summer drey is usually quite flimsy and lodged among small branches. It is built fairly high in a tree and lined with dry grass, shredded bark, moss and feathers. Made of twigs, often with the leaves still attached. The grey squirrel builds itself a nest, or drey, about the size of a football. Squirrels have good eyesight and often sit upright on a vantage point to look around them. The grey squirrel can leap more than 6 metres! If a squirrel should fall, it can land safely from heights of about 9m (30ft). Sharp claws are useful for gripping bark and the tail helps the squirrel to balance. The hind feet, longer than the front, are double-jointed to help the squirrel scramble head first up and down the tree trunk. The long, muscular hind legs and short front legs help it to leap. ![]() It is also very agile in the trees and can run along slender twigs, leaping from tree to tree. Compared with the red squirrel, it spends more time foraging and feeding on the ground than in the trees. The grey squirrel is diurnal and most active at dawn and dusk, searching for available food. Today the Grey Squirrel is one of Britain’s most well-known and frequently seen mammals, with an estimated population of 2.5 million in the UK. After many release and escapes, the grey population began to increase dramatically at the beginning of this century. Population: The grey squirrel was first introduced to Great Britain as a fashionable addition to country estates and parks such as Woburn in Bedfordshire. Life-span: Some live up to 10 years in the wild although most only manage 3-4 years.įood: Hazelnuts, acorns, beech mast, tree bark, fungi, buds, leaves, shoots, flowers will also raid birds’ nests for eggs and young. Size: Head and body about 25 – 30cm tail about 20 – 25cm. Habitat: Prefers mature deciduous woodland but also common in parks and gardens in towns and cities.ĭescription: Winter fur is dense and silvery grey with a brown tinge along the middle of the back. ![]() Introduced species in Great Britain, Ireland & South Africa Instead you can purchase specifically designed squirrel feeders and squirrel food to keep them happy and healthy.ĭistribution: Native to North America. The grey squirrel is very bold and soon learns to take food from bird tables and destroy bird feeders. Some consider it to be an athletic and entertaining little creature, but it can certainly be a great nuisance in the garden, particularly if you are a bird lover. The grey squirrel is well known to us as it is widespread throughout British gardens and parks. Therefore once trapped the only legal option is to shoot the grey squirrel. The problem is that if you trap grey squirrels then it is illegal to release them back into the wild in another location because they are classified as vermin. In recent years there have been calls to control the population of greys, particularly at boundary areas where reds are being pushed back. Grey squirrels are also larger and more adaptable and out-compete the reds for food and territory. Contributing factors to the decline of the red here in the UK include the fact that grey squirrels carry the squirrel pox virus to which red squirrels have no immunity. By contrast the red squirrel is widespread in mainland Europe. Since the introduction of the grey squirrel in the 19th century, the red has suffered serious decline and is now only found in small pockets of the UK, with the majority found in Scotland. More recently Black Squirrels, which are a colour variant of the grey squirrel, have been observed in several southern counties of the UK. In Britain we have our native Red Squirrel and the introduced Grey Squirrel. ![]()
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