…as a field technician and research assistant studying rodent populations and testing two methods for controlling the plague (Yersinia pestis) a.k.a. Black Death. There I gained a lot of hands-on experience trapping and handling rats, mice, squirrels and chipmunks, as well as the odd striped and spotted skunks (striped skunk below). Next, after 2 and a half years away I… […]
…spring and autumn of 2015 with feeding hoppers and sticky tapes, as an extension of the annual SSRS spring survey. We may even be a bit blasé about our reds, having been admonished lately by SSRS for being rather too good at reporting greys, and thus making our bit of the online map look like a disaster zone! I now… […]
…the situation with both red and grey squirrels is changing. The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey allows us to compare data between years which is really helpful in understanding the impact our efforts are having over time and where more help is needed.” “Acting as a squirrel spotter while you are out and about and reporting a squirrel sighting is simple… […]
…National Lottery-funded project understand how the distribution of each species is changing over time, and can also alert staff to situations where grey squirrels are posing an immediate threat to the local red population. The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey week will also feature a programme of online and outdoor events across the country. More information can be found here. … […]
…are asking people living within these areas to be extra vigilant. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels without causing them any harm. However, if spread to red squirrels the disease is deadly. Red squirrels develop wet pus-filled lesions on their faces, particularly around the eyes, nose and mouth, as well as on their paws and genitalia. They become… […]
…and facebook for the latest Great Scottish Squirrel Survey news. Get involved There are a variety of outdoor and online events happening throughout the Survey week, check out our events page for more details. If you are a member of a community group, wildlife organisation or visitor attraction in Scotland you could help us spread the word or even… […]
…in ecology and a masters in conservation biology and most of my work and interests have been with small mammal ecology and conservation. I have worked with a range of animals, from native mice and voles to species of rabbit found in south-east Asia. I began working with red squirrels in 2019 as a monitoring and control officer for the… […]
…staggering 94% decline in native water vole populations? The American skunk-cabbage plant does actually smell as bad as a skunk…. White butterburr was imported as a garden ornamental from mainland Europe and SW Asia and escaped into the wild. What is an Invasive Species? There are around 2,000 non-native plants and animals in the UK, these non-native species… […]
…like much, but locating and intercepting the very early grey squirrel colonisers is a difficult job – needles and haystacks being an apt analogy – and your reports enable us to narrow our search. Although the risk of grey squirrel presence in the area has been reduced, we of course do not know how many grey squirrels remain in Pitlochry,… […]
Original Author: Stewart Smith – Squirrel Volunteer How do squirrels survive the winter? Do they hibernate? The cold weather is a tough time for animals, how do they managed to stay warm? Winter has arrived in Scotland. People are trudging home in the dark at 4 o’clock, and newspapers are threatening blizzards, and “the coldest winter on record”,… […]
