Red squirrel in the Scottish Highlands, Scotland
© Scotland: The Big Picture/Minden Picture
The tale of squirrels like Nutkin
If this picture looks right out of English writer Beatrix Potter's world, we'd say you have a good eye for a story. In 1903, Potter published 'The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin,' about a cheeky squirrel who taunts an owl with silly riddles until he pushes things too far—narrowly escaping with his life, minus a tail. Potter based Nutkin on the red squirrel, the only native squirrel species to the UK. The red squirrel population saw a steep decline here after humans introduced the larger nonnative Eastern gray squirrel in the late 1800s. But today in the UK, the red squirrel is a protected species, bolstering efforts to keep the gray numbers in check and preserve habitat. The UK red squirrel population is estimated to be about 138,000, with the vast majority living in the woods of Scotland, like our little friend here.
Join us in getting nutty for the red squirrel—and squirrels everywhere—for today is Squirrel Appreciation Day.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest, Minnesota
The Hickman Bridge at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
The hill station of Kausani in Uttarakhand, India
Noctilucent clouds in Lithuania
Rainforest hike near Milford Sound/Piopiotahi in New Zealand
Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Saint George Island and Our Lady of the Rocks in the Bay of Kotor, Perast, Montenegro
Omijima Island in Kita-Nagato Kaigan Quasi-National Park, Japan
