red squirrel

American  

noun

1. a reddish squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, of North America.

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red squirrel British  

noun

1. a reddish-brown squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris , inhabiting woodlands of Europe and parts of Asia

2. either of two reddish-brown squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus or T. douglasii , inhabiting forests of North America

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Etymology

Origin of red squirrel

An Americanism dating back to 1630–40

Example Sentences

Wildlife already appears on banknotes in the UK, with mackerel, otters, red squirrels and osprey featuring on notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

From BBC

I have seen rabbits outwit foxes and watched red squirrels tease martens and get away with it, but this time it was not to be.

From Literature

Big fat bunnies, red squirrels, and chipmunks would come right up to her and eat from her hand.

From Literature

Ospreys diving for fish, mountain hares in the snow, puffins with bills full of sand eels, red squirrels, beavers and even a lynx.

From BBC

The estate is home to rare wildlife, including curlew, mountain bumblebees, lapwings, red squirrels, cuckoo and merlin, as well as Atlantic salmon and critically endangered eels, but the conservationists say nature could be richer still.

From BBC