Red squirrels in medieval England had leprosy ... the lives of humans and squirrels were much more intertwined than they are today. Squirrel fur was the most commonly used fur for trimming ...

This makes red squirrels the earliest known non-human hosts ... squirrels found at a nearby site that was home to at least one fur shop between the 11 th and 13 th centuries.

When parted, the white hairs of the belly show gray bases, the fur on the upper parts of the body has a reddish ... and pilfers from the caches of the red squirrel. Both species of flying squirrel ...