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There are over
267 million different species of squirrel in the world. The three most common families are the ground squirrel, the flying
squirrel and the tree squirrel and they have been found as far north as the Artic, in warm climes such as the Mediterranean
and as far east as China.
It
is only in Europe
that the red squirrel is protected. Reasons for their decline have been cited as follows;
- Lack of forests- As the British cut down more and more of their forests in rural areas to make
space for housing and roadways, there becomes far less trees for the red squirrel to inhabit.
- Predators- As the squirrels are forced to live closer to humans, predators such as the domestic
cat and dog threaten their colonies. Red squirrels, being smaller than the grey are more at more risk from being caught by
cats.
Grey
Squirrels-
It
is thought that the grey squirrel threatens the red in a number of ways;
- Greys are able to digest large seeds such as acorns and hazelnuts and can digest other food
sources before they are ripe giving them an advantage in most woodland over reds
- Greys are able to gain more nutrients from these food sources, therefore the red squirrel become
underweight and unable to breed or carry big litters
- Grey squirrels are thought steal nuts from red squirrel winter stores
- Parapox Virus- Grey squirrels are carriers of the virus but are immune to its effects. However,
the virus is always fatal for red squirrels. The virus is spread through infected legions or contaminated crusts, the virus
is highly resistant to drying and so the crusts remain contaminated for long periods of time. The Parapoxvirus can also be
spread through feeders, which is why if you feed the squirrels, it is advised that you disinfect your feeder everyday.
Red squirrels who suffer
from the virus normally die within 15 days. The symptoms are lesions and scabs around the eyes, mouth, feet and genitalia.
As the disease progresses, the red squirrel will become more and more lethargic.
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