Squirrels

[Toni115]

I am inclined to agree with Elliepom .......sorry guys

[ME SHELL]

Originally Posted by elliepom

strange as it might sound the grey squirrel did not introduce himself here, he was brought by man! Although it was once believed to drive the red squirrel out of habitat it appears that it is simply better able to take advantage of the red squirrels habitat. Wild boar, ruddy ducks, ring necked parakeets and many more have also been introduced.
I don't think its our job to decide whether there are too many, population census say the grey squirrel population is stable.

Next it will be birds of prey, a tortoises natural enemy, or perhaps cats and dogs.
We all love our torts, but get a bit of perspective. No one species has more right than another

Too true. Ilove nimals of all shapes and forms. There are a load of stray cats that go to my neightbours to be fed and they use my garden as a toilet. Even though I don't want them to I wouldn't want anyone to hurt them.

[elliepom]

the fact that the grey sqiuirrel has superced the red is because it is better able to survive.
this is known as the evolutionay process. The strongest survive.

Too say your council say, implies that they suddenly became the authority on animals. The reason they have done is it because they get complaints about pigeon **** !! and they carry disease.
Strangely enough tortoises carry diseases too.

sometimes people just cannot see the bigger picture!

[elliepom]

Grey squirrels are to give it the correct tem resource competitor. In other words they are a more effective utiliser of a niche, within a habitat. Once established it is virtually impossible to eradicate it.
Don't you think the poisons put down to kill them will have a knock on effect thru the food chain ie killing birds of prey, cats, any scaveging birds, or mammals ie badgers
The rule of 10's applies to introduced species- approx 10% of introduced species become established and of that figure 10% will out compete a native organism.

While we are at it lets cull potatoes, they aren't native either- where does this argument end ?

[wildlifewarrior]

am afriad i compleetly disagree with this. the grey may not have been introduced here by it's self and aslong as it is here it shud be looked after aslong as it does not become a problem, us as humans put them there and it is up to us to keep them under controll. these squirells are much more agressive than the reds and they have been known to attack people aswell. they eat many bird eggs.

ur mention they are stronger so surviv better, and this is known as evolutionay process. i thought evlotion was to adapt and become better within ur surrounds, but this has happened in a completey unnatural way so it has not really better living in these areas but more of being aggeseive to survive. they have not adapted to there way of life over here as they causenatural problems, foxes may eat chickens and become a pest but that is becuase man is keeping chickens in the habitat of the fox, but grey squirells damage tree,other animals this is cuases are native wildlife to become unbalanced and it wud be more ignorant to let them carry on rather than culling them in the most humane way.

killing anyway is not nice, i never even kill months and bees in the house i always catch them and let them out. but it needs to be managed. u need to do a greater of lesser evils.

[Pussygalore]

elliepom a like minded person at last, we are foster parents to orphaned squirrels through one of the rescue places and guess what we love it, feed and release them into the surrounding park, they come back to see us and we love the little devils even if the entire population was exterminated that is no guarantee that the reds would return, to much of their habitat has now dissapeared so love them or hate them the greys are here to stay, I have never had any problems apart from them comming into the house and helping themselves to their food, they bury their nuts in the tort enclosures but have never shown any interest in the torts but then they get so much food and are so fat I doubt they'd bother, along with the fox and our badgers all are welcome.

[DAISY]

Shame this post has to become an argument. I dont think anyone here was really saying lets go out kill squirrels. We have greysquirrels where I live and I think they are beautiful but dont encourage them by feeding, more for their own sake as there are alot of cats. Theres a difference between not encouraging them and killing them.
To the person who made the post I would try and make sure any younger torts where secure away from them, more as a precaution. Squirrels can do alot of damage with their teeth and as the torts instinct is to withdraw into its shell it is a sitting duck.

Rach

[piglet]

I agree Rach, Dazza don't take any chances, we have squrrels here and never really seen any interaction between them and tortoises but have heard about the occassion when they can turn remeber they are opatunists so best not encouraged in my opinion, I wouldn't kill them but the dogs think differently

D

[elliepom]

daisy I agree it is OUR responsibilty to protect OUR torts from the squirrels.

Do you know exactly the same argument was used by pigeon fancies for poisioning peregrine falcon, and fishermen against cormorants and otters.
We periodicaaly loose fish from our ponds but don't want to get rid of the heron

And if we got rid of all the grey squirrels, we would be more likely to be overun with rats, rather than red squirrels

[wildlifewarrior]

we are already over run with rats lol. i don't wish any animals to die for any reason but sometimes things have to be done to keep them under control. it is just something that has to be done to ensure sirvival of other animals.

i help manage a wildlife garden as most of u know and i am all for helping animals out and such, i don't want any squirells to die but niether do i want my grandkids never to see a red sqirell and such.

p.s. Pussygalore am not having a go but if u are feeding and releasing squirels then thats up to you and i do think it is a good thing wot u are doing but cud you keep it quite....as releasing them into the wild, weatehr they are wild original does not matter, but realsing them back intot he wild is actully illegal. not having ago but just watching ur back so just keep hush about wot u do