The problem for our native Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris is that the non-native Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis lives at higher densities and by doing so muscles the Reds out of the neighbourhood and the Grey carries the parapox virus which does not affect the Greys but is often fatal to the Reds.
And yes they are a different species (different genus actually) from the American Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus.
Generally speaking (you know someone is fudging a host of issues when they say this LOL) human resources only come under threat if they are exported. By that I mean that say an Appalachian village traps or shoots squirrels for food. It is a more than even chance they will do this with a view to doing the same next year and the year after because its for their survival benefit. When the benefit sought is something else and the squirrels are killed to trade with the village down the river (ie 'exported') then if what is obtained in return is sufficiently attractive the squirrels may end up wiped out in the name of trade.
Bringing this a little further back towards the thread of 'To Kill a Gracklebird' my proposal that folks should have to eat what they shoot means they don't get to ignore or 'export' what they kill.
But this will never happen.
Lee
And yes they are a different species (different genus actually) from the American Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus.
Generally speaking (you know someone is fudging a host of issues when they say this LOL) human resources only come under threat if they are exported. By that I mean that say an Appalachian village traps or shoots squirrels for food. It is a more than even chance they will do this with a view to doing the same next year and the year after because its for their survival benefit. When the benefit sought is something else and the squirrels are killed to trade with the village down the river (ie 'exported') then if what is obtained in return is sufficiently attractive the squirrels may end up wiped out in the name of trade.
Bringing this a little further back towards the thread of 'To Kill a Gracklebird' my proposal that folks should have to eat what they shoot means they don't get to ignore or 'export' what they kill.
But this will never happen.
Lee