Red Squirrel near Dunkeld, Perthshire

Red squirrels shed their coats twice a year, switching from a thinner summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat with noticeably larger ear-tufts. People can report sightings of both red and grey squirrels on the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels website - scottishsquirrels.org.uk. This helps the project monitor population changes over time and decide where to focus conservation efforts. It is hoped that red squirrels  will be able to thrive and always be a part of Scotland’s native wildlife despite the threat from grey squirrels introduced from North America.