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Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) on scots pine bough, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. - Peter Cairns/2020VISION

How to ID a Red Squirrel

Red vs Grey

The Red squirrel has a reddish-brown coat and pale underside. It has a characteristically bushy tail. It is distinguished from the Grey squirrel by its smaller size, red fur and distinctive, large ear tufts.

The Grey squirrel has a silver-grey coat, with a brownish face and feet, and pale underside. It has a characteristically bushy tail. It is distinguished from the red squirrel by its larger size, grey fur, and smaller ears without tufts. However, Grey squirrels can vary in colour, with some appearing slightly ginger.

Put your Squirrel Spotting Skills to the test!

We use camera traps to monitor Red squirrel activity, but they aren't the only species we catch on camera. Below are 10 photos of Red and Grey squirrels captured by our camera traps. See if you can ID them all of them correctly. Answers are revealed at the bottom of the page. 

Red squirrel on log.
Grey squirrel on forest floor with a pine cone in it's mouth.
Grey squirrel on forest floor.
Red squirrel on forest floor with a pine cone in it's mouth.
Black and white image of Red squirrel from a camera trap.
Black and white image of Grey squirrel from a camera trap.
Black and white image of Red squirrel from a camera trap.
Black and white image of Grey squirrel from a camera trap.
Black and white image of Grey squirrel from a camera trap.
Black and white image of Red squirrel from a camera trap.

Answers

  1. Red 
  2. Grey 
  3. Grey
  4. Red
  5. Red
  6. Grey
  7. Red
  8. Grey
  9. Grey
  10. Red