Sciurus Vulgaris is the same species as the European Red found in Scandinavia and NW Europe. The grey squirrel a native of North America, was introduced to the England in 1876 it has become very successful and has spread throughout England and the South of Scotland. This is an example of how man can introduce an alien species, and without thinking cause a negative impact upon our native wildlife. As well as competition with the grey, red squirrel populations have also been damaged by disease and the break up of their woodland habitats. The total number of red squirrels in the UK is estimated at 161 000. Of these, only 30 000 are in England, 121 000 in Scotland and 10 000 in Wales. This compares with a grey squirrel population for the UK of around 2 520 000, with around 2 million in England. Red squirrels are seed eaters. They favour Scots pine cones, but also eat larch and spruce. Their diet also includes fungi, shoots and fruits of shrubs and trees, and sometimes birds' eggs. Reds do not hibernate and store fungi in trees to eat over the winter months. The main predators of red squirrels are birds of prey, such as goshawks and pine marten But the main threats to the survival of the reds are the increasing number of grey squirrels, disease (parapoxvirus) and road traffic. For more information: http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/NaturallyScottish/redsquirrels/Page9.htm