Ian James Photography

Red Squirrel

Although the Red Squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ) is listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List, the population in Britain is in serious decline. Although this tends to be blamed completely on the Grey Squirrel, habitat fragmentation and loss of the native woodland in which in thrives are also to blame.

Conservation efforts involve a variety of approaches; from preserving native forest, trapping the invasive Grey Squirrel to captive breeding projects. This photo was taken at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey, where the Red Squirrels are managing to breed successfully.

The naming of the squirrel is due to it's tail. It was thought that this bushy appendage was used to create shade - hence that latin word ‘Sciurus’, meaning ‘shadow-tailed’.