Re: More anti-grey squirrel propaganda


<amacmil304@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:op0ag3pklm6ckqao4l3q7713bd2helj38k@xxxxxxxxxx
On Thu, 4 Oct 2007 13:49:41 +0100, "BAC" <casswalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


"Malcolm" <Malcolm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:feE9TdEMaMBHFws2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In article <1191493029.74495.0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, BAC
<casswalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes

<amacmil304@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:lqb9g3tb9p5vri8eduqu08iiaghdu9lnkl@xxxxxxxxxx
On Thu, 4 Oct 2007 09:22:12 +0100, "BAC" <casswalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

If grey squirrels were able to understand human activities, they'd
doubtless
be worried to learn that they've made the Daily Mail's sh1t list, as
evidenced by a rant they've commissioned from one of their tame
rednecks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_artic
le_id=485515&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments



See also http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7026097.stm for the
"alternative" which has amounted to an enormous number of hits to
Professor Acorn's website.



Fame at last, Angus :-)

If only by being quoted saying, wrongly, that the red squirrel might not
be native because of continental imports!

My understanding of Angus's position on this is that he believes any and
all
creatures born in Britain are natives of Britain, regardless of the
classification of their species into native or non-native, hence I'd be
surprised if he were really suggesting that Scottish red squirrels were
non-native, regardless of the fact that some of them are probably
descended
from introduced stock.

Absolutely. In my view all animals born in this country are natives.
But the reds are probably just as non-native as the greys in terms of
their classification.


Not according to the people who actually do the classification. In their
eyes, the Red Squirrel is a 'native species', regardless of whether it has
been reintroduced, whereas the grey squirrel is not, even though it is
clearly naturalised in the same way as, for example, rabbits, or horse
chestnut trees.


Of course, if he were implying that an analysis of the mitochondrial DNA
of
some of the current Scottish squirrel population might show haplotypes
which
were not native (i.e. indigenous) to Scotland, he might well be right.

Of course.


According to some research,

http://www.springerlink.com/content/e80546882rt84891/

a similar study of the Irish red squirrel population, known to include
both
indigenous and introduced stock shows up haplotypes now extinct in
Britain,
so maybe any future reintroductions should be sourced from there :-)


At more cost to the taxpayer.


Why spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar? If one were to decide to
reintroduce red squirrels, perhaps to bring in some new blood to invigorate
the preserved remnant populations, surely it'd be best to do so from stock
which originated in our islands in the first place?


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Not so "native" introductions
    ... Red squirrels are native to Britain, Angus, and there's nothing you can ... as if the beaver will be back as native species before too long. ... That the red squirrel was not continuously here for the last 10,000 ... All squirrels born in this country are natives of this country - just ...
    (uk.environment.conservation)
  • Re: The bottom line!
    ... I heard the NT were running out of money. ... There is little chance that the red squirrel will be around in the UK ... conservationists to benefit the most damaging mammal on the planet. ... Grey squirrels as individuals are natives of this country. ...
    (uk.environment.conservation)
  • Re: More anti-grey squirrel propaganda
    ... If only by being quoted saying, wrongly, that the red squirrel might not ... In my view all animals born in this country are natives. ... so maybe any future reintroductions should be sourced from there :-) ... I don't really see the need to invigorate wildlife populations. ...
    (uk.environment.conservation)
  • Re: More anti-grey squirrel propaganda
    ... If only by being quoted saying, wrongly, that the red squirrel might not ... creatures born in Britain are natives of Britain, ... indigenous and introduced stock shows up haplotypes now extinct in Britain, ...
    (uk.environment.conservation)