Forest



A baby red squirrel



Red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris

The red squirrel is about 19-23cm tall. It weighs 250-340g and it's long bushy tail is probably to help it keep balanced and to help it jump from tree to tree. It has curved claws to help it climb trees and grip branches. The red squirrel can also swim. A female can have up to 2 litters a year containing 3-4 young. If food is scarce breeding may be delayed. They live between 3 and 7 years in the wild but up to 10 in captivity. They live in nests or tree hollows like birds. 75-85% of juveniles die in their first winter.


Red Deer Cervus elaphus

The red deer is one of the largest deer. The stag is 175-230cm long. The stags weigh 160-240kg but the hind (female red deer) is much smaller weighing 120-170kg. Only the stags have antlers, they start growing in spring and shed at the end winter. The antlers are made of a bone that can grow at up to 2.5cm a day! When the antlers are growing they have a soft, thin layer of fur over them called velvet. They ussualy spend their winters at a lower altitude in the forest. During the summer they move up to higher altitude where there is more food. When red deer mature they normally live in single sex groups until the mating season when the stags have violant battles that often result in injury.