The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent. Males and females are the same size, with the red squirrel being somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel.
The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp, curved claws to help it climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches, and even house walls. Its strong hind legs enable it leap between trees. In addition, the red squirrel also can swim.
The coat of the red squirrel varies in color with time of year and location. The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in color. The red squirrel sheds its coat twice a year, switching from a thinner, summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat. The red color is for camouflage when seen against the bark of pine trees.
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