“What,” Garry asked, “Is the difference?”
Describing the differences doesn’t sound like much. This is where pictures show the differences much better.
He has a straighter, thicker tail. He doesn’t have a white ring around his eyes. He is also about 25% bigger than the red squirrel.
Double curly tail and white ring around the eyes. Smaller than the Eastern Grey Squirrel. They have a whiter tummy and sometimes have a black edge along the white tummy. Sometimes, depending on age and season, these guys can be really red. The red kids also have a more pointy face. I think they fight more because you see more red squirrels with the hair on their faces and tails pulled out — which is how they fight (I read that so it must be true).
The grey squirrels are more consistent in how they look. The red ones vary more, sometimes being quite red with very little gray, or with more gray than red. One way or the other, that double curled tail is a giveaway — as well as the size.