Species of the Month: January 2026
Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
A ubiquitous mammal of parks, gardens and the wider countryside, Grey Squirrels are a long established non-native species found throughout the south east Wales.
Identification of this species is straightforward - the plump body, grey fur and large bushy tail of Grey Squirrel is a familiar sight to all. The only potential confusion species is our native Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), which is sadly extinct in south Wales. There is a very slight possibility of Red Squirrel visiting the north of the SEWBReC area, as there is a population in mid-Wales. You can differentiate the two species by size (larger in Grey), fur colour and ear tufts - these are only present in Red Squirrel, which also have proportionally larger ears.
You can find more images and information about Grey Squirrel from the Mammal Society and NatureSpot.
LERC Wales holds over 20,000 records for Grey Squirrel in Wales, however it is a species that can become overlooked due to being considered "too common to record". It is important to record common species as well as rarities, to track population changes and other patterns over time. You can view the Wales-wide distribution map on Aderyn here.
We hold just over 4,000 records of Grey Squirrel in the SEWBReC area, and there are many 1km squares with no records at all. You can view the 1km distribution map of the SEWBReC area on Aderyn here.
If you spot Grey Squirrel during January (or at any other time of year) please send us the record, ideally via SEWBReCORD or the LERC Wales App. Instructions on how to submit records are available here.
