RED SQUIRREL
The red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, is one of Ireland's native rodent species. As the name suggests, the coat is red or reddish brown with a white or cream belly. In winter, the coat may be darker,and the tail and ear tufts become quite bushy (a good way to distinguish the red squirrel from the grey). In summer, the coat is usually lighter in colour and the ear tufts less noticeable. The red squirrel is smaller in size than the grey squirrel, with an average weight of around 300g. Body length can vary from 18 to 27cm, with the tail adding a further 14 – 20cm to the total body length.
GREY SQUIRREL
The grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, is native to North America. As the name suggests, they have a grey coat but flanks, limbs, paws and ears are often a reddish brown, and the underside of the body can be white or grey. They are larger than the red squirrel, measuring 38 – 53 cm in body length, and a further 15 – 25 cm including the tail. Adult body weight is usually between 500 and 600g.
The Irish name for the pine marten, "cat crainn", means "tree cat". Indeed they are the size of
a small domestic cat, and are agile climbers, spending much of their time in trees. They have
pointed snouts and large rounded ears. Coat colours vary from a lighter chocolate-brown in
winter (when the coat is thicker) to a darker, almost black brown in the summer. Pine martens
also have distinctive creamy fur within the ears and a creamy-yellow to orange coloured chest
patch or "bib" that runs from the chin to the chest. They have semi-retractile claws to aid in
climbing and long, often bushy, tails.
Pine Martens may sometimes be confused in the field for their close relatives, the native stoat, and the introduced mink. However, stoats are smaller than the pine marten with a lighter chestnut brown coat, and both the throat and belly are white as distinct from the pine marten's creamy "bib". The stoat's tail is shorter and less fluffy than the pine marten's, with a black tip on it's end.
The mink's coat is similar in colour to the pine marten, however the mink is smaller, with shorter legs, and more resembles a weasel. Minks often have a white patch on their chin, but do not have the characteristic "bib" like the pine marten. They also have smaller ears and semi-webbed feet, and are most often seen close to water as this is where their hunting takes place.