…southwards from the Central Belt, completely replacing red squirrels in Lothian, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, parts of Ayrshire and parts of the Scottish Borders. In 2001 grey squirrels from Cumbria spread north into Dumfriesshire for the first time. Four years later it was discovered that these new arrivals were carrying the squirrelpox virus, which had already had a devastating effect on red… […]
…There are now approximately 160,000 native red squirrels in Britain, of which over 75% live in Scotland Since the introduction of grey squirrels, they have become widespread across Britain due to their ability to adapt to new environments. They have also introduced the squirrel pox virus which, although catastrophic to red squirrels, appears to leave grey squirrels relatively unharmed due… […]
…whether they’re from your back garden or the wider countryside. Once verified these sightings will be added to the Scottish Squirrel Database, a national record of red and grey squirrel distributions which helps form the basis of our long-term plans for red squirrel conservation. Red Squirrel Week 2019 marked our first ever Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. This annual event saw… […]
…Chanin, Project Officer in South Scotland said: “Red Squirrel Week is great time to get outside for an autumnal walk. Engaging with nature in this way is very beneficial for people’s wellbeing and adding sightings of red and grey squirrels to our online map helps us to keep track of squirrel movements in Scotland.” During times of transition and uncertainty,… […]
This week marks the official end of ‘Developing Community Action’. The past five years have gone incredibly fast! So what happens next? Funded by National Lottery Players, ‘Developing Community Action’ saw the SSRS team expand to its largest ever staffing level, with ambitious aims to boost our engagement with local communities, build a network of skilled volunteers and,… […]
…sightings seen during walks can be reported to the project at scottishsquirrels.org.uk. All sightings are added to a national database that helps form the basis of long-term plans for red squirrel conservation in Scotland. Find a route near you by downloading the myGeoAdventure app for free from the Apple Store or Google Play, and searching ‘Red Squirrel Ramble’. LEARN MORE… […]
Original Author: Steve Willis Sometimes trail cameras pick up some pretty unusual animal behaviour… The SSRS team use trail cameras for much of our survey work. As these amazing devices have come down in price their popularity has risen and risen. And for good reason too – they are unobtrusive ways to observe your local wildlife. Even setting… […]
