Help Monitor Red Sqirrels across Tayside
Throughout the woodlands of Scotland a struggle for territory is taking place, what was once home to the red squirrel is now being invaded by their grey cousins.
It is estimated that 160,000 red squirrels remain in Britain with 75% of them living in Scotland. Greys have been steadily moving north until recently, where only reds were seen.
The threat that reds are under is mainly because of the demands that their grey cousins make on the environment. Greys are almost twice the size and so have bigger appetites and need more space to feed in. They can also eat certain foods such as acorns before they are ripe, which the reds cannot and so empty the larder before the reds have a chance to share it. As they tend to breed in larger numbers, it is not long before invading greys can take over a wood and push the reds out or to local extinction.
Now there is a bigger threat, as some greys carry a disease called squirrelpox that does not kill them but is fatal to reds. For some time this was confined to England but it has now crossed the Border and is killing reds in the Dumfries and Galloway area.
In order to try to prevent the spread of greys and to create and maintain safe havens for the red population it is vital to know where both species can be found. The Scottish Squirrel survey has been taking records of sightings across the country in order to draw up a map of where they are. The Woodland Trust is working with The Tayside Red Squirrel Project to help map squirrels in Tayside and Angus. We are asking all Trust supporters to get involved and when you are out walking in one of our woods in particular Huntly wood and Backmuir that be vigilant in our search for squirrels and record them being their on either www.dundeeredsquirrels.co.uk or www.scottishsquirrelsurvey.co.uk
