Canis lupus hominis

Posted in Rodents, wildlife | Tagged Eastern gray squirrel, gray squirrel | 1 Comment

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1. on November 26, 2012 at 8:05 am chervilmeadow

   There was a time in the England of the forties that officialdom fondly imagined the grey sqirrel could be eliminated here, a century or so after its introduction as a ‘novelty’ – and then, so it was argued, the native red squirrel would have a better chance. Unfortunately for that hope it turned out that the grey species was better adapted to our more common deciduous woodland than the reds, which evolved to dine mainly from the seeds of our once common scots pine.

   So even before the greys arrived the reds had already gone slightly into decline. However, the clincher was the squirrel pox which the greys failed to declare at border control. It seems that this pox evolved in America alongside the grey species which are consequently little affected. But squirrel pox is deadly to the european reds which because of it now only survive here in isolated pockets such as offshore islands or remote areas of the Scottish highlands. Forunately for the pretty little reds they have vast tracts of european conifer forest uniquely at their sole diposal being free from the poxy greys.

   There was even a bounty on grey squirrel tails in post war England which was ineffectual and too costly so it was ended. We have grey squirrel damage affecting the trees on our own property but it does not worry us too much. The bark gets chewed off in patches but the trees survive well enough.

   The greys are highly visible since they scurry along the ground in daytime whereas reds stay more hidden high in the tree tops, so we have mostly grown to like these immigrants as a welcome sights on every woodland walk.

   
   

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