Links to literature: http://www.europeansquirrelinitiative.org/reports.html
Including
THE RED SQUIRREL
Redressing The Wrong
by Charles Dutton
ür cute.
Uh-Oh…Greys beware: here comes metasquirrel
A genetic mutation of the UK enemy squirrel threatens to out-grab even the wild and power-hungry greys:
This from 2008 – seems to have been affecting East Anglia mostly. Not sure what’s happening with them now.. been quite in the news.
The black squirrel – a genetic mutation of the grey – was first recorded in Britain 90 years ago but now accounts for half of all squirrels in some parts of the country.
They have higher testosterone levels, which is thought to make them more domineering and territorial, while their colouring makes them more attractive to female greys.
Owen Humphreys chronicles the squirrel war
Owen, I like to imagine that you are Chief Squirrel Liaison for the Guardian. Owen, can you hear me? Do you heart the Red and hate the Grey, as much as your photos convey?
“Red squirrels,” she said, “are rather like quiet, well-behaved people.”
The article “The Squirrel Wars,” by D.T. Max, that ran in the NY Times in 2007 on the Red vs Gray struggle has a wonderful mid-section devoted to the House of Lords discussion on the subject. As a perhaps-important underscore, the House has cut hereditary peers’ membership by 90% in the recent decade.
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy, the 21st to hold that title in Scotland…spoke to point out the inherent superiority of the red over the gray squirrel: “Red squirrels,” she said, “are rather like quiet, well-behaved people who do not make a nuisance or an exhibition of themselves or commit crimes and so do not get themselves into the papers in the vulgar way gray squirrels do.” She continued: “Red squirrels do not strip bark from trees; damage arable crops, market gardens and garden plants; dig up bulb and corms from recently sown seed; eat birds’ eggs; or eat telephone wires and electricity cables, as gray squirrels do.” Lady Saltoun suggested some research be done on whether gray squirrels tasted good. She foresaw a fight at the dinner table: “I have a nasty feeling that . . . children in particular would say, ‘Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly eat that,’ just as they say they cannot eat dear little bunny rabbits. But this is worth having a look at.”
The Rt Hon. The Lady Saltoun (née Ms. Flora Fraser, me being a vulgar American) is the only female holder of a lordship of Parliament who has a seat in the House of Lords as an elected hereditary peer. She is the head of the Frasers of Philorth. (thanks Wikipedia). But her comments, while perhaps more focused on etiquette, are not anomalous among the peerage.
Here is Lady Saltoun’s web site.
She has a fantastic genealogy and has written the books “Clan Fraser,” “Lady Saltoun’s Favourite Fish Dishes,” and “Lady Saltoun’s Favourite Puddings.”
A Nationalist takes red squirrel as mascot
Well! Sad but inevitable use of animals as symbols. The squirrel of course is cute and wonderful, and was at one time well-adapted and in balance with its native habitat. But c’mon – I’ve been keeping quiet and recording “just the facts” about the critters – and it wasn’t hard to find this unsurprising (lock)step:
The author of this blog, code name Red Squirrel, writes,
I am proud to be a member of The British National Party. This photograph replaces the image of the Red Squirrel I used to conceal my identity from the disgusting hammer wielding fascist scum, that threaten to burn people alive! But I hide NO More!These people are reprobates, paid by the government and the Islamists to intimidate, silence or even kill freedom loving people who dare to raise their voices in protest. Please wake up Britain and vote For the only party able to halt this madness! We are descending into the horror of a repressive and totalitarian regime. I love my Nation. Do You? Our Civilisation once gone would be irreplaceable!
and this is quite a surprising profile photo (nice rainbow; is this mythic Britain?):
“Helping our reds to stand up for themselves”
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22,586 Grey Squirrels trapped since January 2007
(statistic from the RSSP)
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This is a screen shot of the Northern Red Squirrels home page – a volunteer protection group:
A link from their web site led me to an article in the Telegraph from April 2009, in which the Prince of Wales is quoted as follows:
The Prince will speak of his sadness at the decline of the “most utterly charming and irresistible of British native mammals” – the red squirrel – because of the spread of greys from North America.. He added: “I am incredibly fortunate to see red squirrels whenever I am in Scotland and I cannot bear the thought that one day they might disappear forever, driven out by the relentless march of the greys.” …”Our red squirrels are facing a battle for survival. It seems almost incomprehensible to me that we have allowed this situation to happen. The far bigger grey squirrels, which were only introduced into this country one hundred and thirty years ago are outcompeting the reds in every way, let alone infecting them with the appalling squirrel pox, to which they are immune, but to which the reds are particularly prone and die a lingering and agonising death.”