Grey squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis

Grey squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis
The ability to run both up and down tree trunks, jump from branch to branch makes the grey a firm favourite. Easy to recognise with it’s long busy tail, short muzzle and rounded ears the grey is both bigger and heavier that it’s native Red cousin. Squirrels are diurnal, with peak activity during early morning and late afternoon. They don’t hibernate but do become less active during the winter months.

The Grey Squirrel was introduced to the UK buy wealthy landowners from North American between 1876 and 1929 , originally as a decorative addition to their country estates. Since then it has spread over much of England and Wales and much of southern Scotland , pushing back the Red Squirrel into smaller pockets of land in England and the Highlands in Scotland.

Adult male squirrels compete to mate with suitable females , and the female will mate with multiple males during the estrus period. The gestation period is about 44 days , when the female gives birth to a litter of between 1-4 pups. The young are born in a nest or “Drey” similar to a birds nest but made from twigs cut live from the host tree, often with leaves still attached. Newborn squirrels are entirely hairless and pink , weigh between 13-18 grams and are born blind. The young are weaned at around 10 weeks old and leave the nest after around 12 weeks. Only 25% will survive the first year to reach maturity. A squirrel can live up to 20 years in captivity , but in the wild average life expectancy is around six years.

Squirrels cannot digest cellulose , a compound found in most green plants. They rely on a diet of protein, carbohydrates and fats, primarily nuts, seeds, fruit, fungi and conifer cones. During hard times squirrels have occasionally been known to eat insects, eggs and small birds. Squirrels start to stash away surplus nuts in autumn when there is plentiful food supply , burying nuts in small holes in soft earth, returning later during winter to retrieve their stored food supply. A squirrel can even sniff out stored nuts under a layer of snow.

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Taken in: UK / England / Ogbourne St. George / Ogbourne Saint George (show map)

Taken on: September 1, 2025

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Camera: Canon EOS R5, f/7.1, 1/1000 sec, 500mm, ISO 320 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS R5
Lens:	Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
Focal Length:	500mm
ISO:	320
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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