Red squirrel

Scientific name: Sciurus vulgaris

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Red squirrels have a distinctive russet-red coat with white underparts and characteristic tufted ears; winter fur is denser and darker than summer coat. Adults are compact with a long, bushy tail and weigh noticeably less than grey squirrels (where sympatric).

Size and weight

Body length 20–25 cm; tail 15–20 cm; weight 250–500 g, with males typically slightly heavier than females.

Habitat

Red squirrels inhabit coniferous and mixed forests, with a preference for spruce, pine, and fir woodlands. They occur from lowland forests to alpine zones, typically between 500–2,000 m elevation, though range extends to sea level in northern regions.

Distribution

Found across Europe and northern Asia from British Isles to Pacific coast; preference for mature coniferous woodland with dense canopy, generally absent from open deciduous or heavily fragmented lowland forests.

Diet

Red squirrels feed primarily on conifer seeds (spruce, pine, fir cones), hazelnuts, and fungi; they also take bark, buds, and insects seasonally, with heavy reliance on cached cone stores in winter.

Behaviour

Diurnal and most active at dawn and dusk; solitary and territorial outside breeding season, with individuals using consistent pathways and favored feeding sites. They are highly vocal and arboreal, spending 90% of time in canopy.

Hunting tips

Look for feeding sign: dismantled cones with extracted scales scattered below favored trees, drey middens, and characteristic bark stripping on young growth. Approach silently from downwind through dense cover, moving slowly during dawn and dusk peaks when squirrels feed actively. Use natural screening of trunk and branch to stalk within effective range; watch for repeated movement on known feed trees.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 3 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.