The Ventilator

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Red Squirrels & Grey Squirrels

Grey squirrels are trouble enough – and now they’re white

Matthew Chatfield
Latest posts by Matthew Chatfield (see all)

Ok, now they really are laughing at us. Possibly it’s even some oh-so-witty rodent pun on the Isle of Wight. It appears that some grey squirrels in Scotland have started surviving in an albino version – as explained by the Scotsman newspaper:

…with some experts suggesting the white coat provides better camouflage against bright, modern buildings than either of its cousins. And numbers are on the rise, with three separate colonies in the Lothians reported to wildlife experts recently. Albino squirrels were spotted in Livingston, West Lothian earlier this year and now it has emerged that two other colonies are living in Edinburgh and Haddington, East Lothian.

A white squirrel

It seems remarkable, if true. But there’s no reason to disbelieve it. Whatever will these amazingly adaptable creatures come up with next? It’s hard to know if this latest development has any implications for the embattled red squirrel – probably not. But intriguing, nonetheless.

Matthew Chatfield

Uncooperative crusty. Unofficial Isle of Wight cultural ambassador. Conservation, countryside and the environment, with extra stuff about spiders.

4 thoughts on “Grey squirrels are trouble enough – and now they’re white

  • The Virtual Ranger

    Deathtogreysquirrels seems to have gone down. We’re waiting to see if it’ll come back – let us know here if it does.

    Reply
  • i cannot open deathtogreysquirrels,web site.why?

    Reply
  • The Virtual Ranger

    In the UK it is illegal to release grey squirrels. If you trap them, you have to be willing to kill them or keep them indefinitely. Most agricultural suppliers should be able to suggest where a squirrel trap can be obtained, or online there is http://www.trap-man.com/

    Reply
  • Thelma Hubbard

    Can you please tell me where I can get a squirrel trap from, my garden is being ruined by them. My husband says we should trap them and take them out to some woodlands and release them.

    Reply

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