The red squirrel, also known as the Eurasian red squirrel, is a part of the tree squirrel family. Their primary habitat is in Eurasia. In Britain, during the last decades, their number has decreased due to introducing of the eastern grey squirrel (which comes from the North American continent).

Red squirrels are omnivores rodents. They are known to be very shy when it comes down to food because these animals don't like sharing their food with others.

A typical red squirrel has a body length ranging from 19 to 23 cm; the tail is between 15 and 20 cm long and its mass is ranged between 250 and 340 g. Their coat varies in color depending on the location and time of the year. The red squirrel sheds its coat two times per year, switching from the thinner summer coat to a thicker and darker winter coat.

Red squirrels usually eat the seeds of trees but they also eat fungi, berries, bird eggs etc. They usually spend 60 up to 80% of their active period either foraging or feeding. The excess food is kept in holes in the trees or buried until a food shortage takes place. Regarding this aspect, red squirrels have a short spatial memory and sometimes forget where they've buried the food.