This wee red squirrel looks warm and cozy in its winter coat here in the Scottish Highlands. The red squirrel is the only squirrel species native to the United Kingdom, but its numbers are in decline. It’s estimated there are only 160,000 left in the UK, and 75 percent of the population makes its home here in Scotland, where conservation groups are coming to its aid. The main threat to this group comes from nonnative gray squirrels, which were introduced here in the 19th century and outcompete the reds for food and living space. Perhaps the two species will make amends for Squirrel Appreciation Day, celebrated on January 21.
Red squirrel in Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Today in History
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Feeling crabby?
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Winter solstice
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Forward-thinking women of history
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Summer huts in winter
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‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’
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Trunks stick together
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Life carries on, rising from a ship s skeleton
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The persistence of Perito Moreno
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Wayag Islands in the Raja Ampat Islands of Indonesia
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Spot on for International Cat Day
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Reflecting on Black History Month
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Float on
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Opt outside today
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The tortoise and the finch
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A perfect day to fly your flag
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Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia
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Where fire meets water
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Merry Christmas!
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Rocks on the move
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Wander the ancient medina
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A wonder in winter
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A truly American monument
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Spring blooms in the Netherlands
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The snows of Fuji
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‘Ciao’ from Varenna
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A dramatic view of Sicily
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A wetland in Västmanland, Sweden
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Palouse farmland, Washington state
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Borrego Badlands
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Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California