Squirrel Myths
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Are reds native to the UK?
Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) are often described as a strictly native species, but the modern UK population is the result of extensive human-led reintroductions, imports from continental Europe, and major changes in forest structure over the last 300 years.
Deforestation for agriculture, fuel, ship-building, and war caused red squirrels to become extinct in Ireland and large parts of southern Scotland by the early 18th century, and they were already rare in the Scottish Highlands by the early 19th century.1
As a result, reintroductions began on a large scale:
Reds were reintroduced to Scotland from England during the 18th and 19th centuries.2
In 1793, Scandinavian red squirrels were deliberately imported into Scotland to “restore” the species.3
During the Victorian era (1830s–1880s), tens of thousands of imported red squirrels were sold in London as pets and many escaped or were released into the wild.4
These imported populations mixed freely with surviving local squirrels.
At the same time, massive reforestation with commercial conifer plantations—especially Sitka spruce and Scots pine—created the very habitat reds prefer. This artificial re-expansion of conifer forest allowed red-squirrel numbers to surge during the late 1800s, reaching their historical peak.5
Modern genetic studies confirm that today’s UK red squirrels are not a single ancient native lineage. Instead, they are a genetically mixed population, strongly shaped by repeated introductions from Europe.
As Harris et al. (2007) explain:
“It is well known that the grey squirrel was brought from North America to England in the late 19th Century, but less well known that ancestors of the current population of red squirrels in the UK have been largely introduced from various parts of Europe. There is no longer a ‘native’ red squirrel due to the frequent introductions from Europe and habitat defragmentation which has allowed gene flow between previously subdivided populations.”6
In short:
Red squirrels in the UK today are not a pure ancient native population, but a hybrid population formed from repeated historical imports, aided by modern forestry practices.
References
1. Middleton, A.D. (1930). The Grey Squirrel: Its Distribution and Control in Great Britain. Journal of Animal Ecology.
2. Little, C.J. et al. (2002). Reintroduction evidence for red squirrels in Scotland. Forestry Commission Archive.
3. Hale, M.L. et al. (2004). Genetic structure of red squirrel populations in Britain. Conservation Genetics.
4. Lever, C. (1977). The Naturalised Animals of the British Isles.
5. Gurnell, J. & Pepper, H. (1993). A critical look at conserving Britain’s red squirrels. Mammal Review.
6. Harris, S., Morris, P., Wray, S., & Yalden, D.W. (2007). A Review of British Mammals: Population Estimates and Conservation Status. Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
The vast majority of organisations are informing the public that grey squirrels cannot be released if they are trapped, and that they must be killed. This is false. If the squirrel is trapped (for example, in a bird feeder, on your property, or in netting in a park), free it. The law still permits freeing grey squirrels and releasing them where they were found. www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/squirrels/injured
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