Brits have been left baffled – and a little bit scared – after an intimidating image of a really hench grey squirrel went viral.
The image of the butch squirrel was posted on Reddit by user Diligent Fox in the r/CasualUK forum.
It shows a small, but ridiculously well-built squirrel standing on its bag legs with its tail puffed out.
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Although it's just the pattern of its fur, its exposed stomach does look like it has a six pack – and it definitely looks in better shape than most people.
It was captioned: “No wonder there are so few red squirrels about with greys built like this.”
And Reddit users in the UK were quick to comment on the strange sighting.
One wrote: “The squirrels at Center Parcs look like this.
“I guess it’s because people feed them, and they hoover up anything left laying around as well.
“Staying there is like being monitored by a bunch of tiny, furry Jason Mamoas - it’s hilarious.”
And another wrote: “(it looks like it's saying) Bring it nuts or it'll f*** you up.”
A third wrote: “He doesn’t bury his acorns, he punches them into the ground.”
However, in a sad twist, one user was quick to point out that there was a more sinister reason as to why these squirrels survive longer than its endangered red cousins – Squirrel Pox.
The deadly illness infects and kills red squirrels in a very unpleasant way, and both red squirrels and grey squirrels can carry the virus.
The explained: “However, in grey squirrels the virus is asymptomatic and they are not adversely affected.
“Grey squirrels, though immune to the virus, can pass it onto red squirrels.”
According to the experts, the virus causes skin ulcers, lesions, and scabs, and can shockingly also cause swelling and discharge near the eyes, mouth, feet, and genitalia.
Once caught, it is very rare that a red squirrel will survive.
The UK's current red squirrel population stands at 140,000, while the grey squirrel population is around 2.5 million.
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