A Scatter Hoard of Nutter Butters

You’re Gonna Die Out There

Hey there Nature Nerds! Enjoy this week's full episode all about Squirrels! Also, think of Jen and Megan as they grab some Nutter Butters and hunker down for an incoming Typhoon! <3 Organization to Support: Red Squirrel Survival Trust https://www.rsst.org.uk/ RED SQUIRRELS ARE HEADING FOR EXTINCTION Red Squirrels are the UK’s only native squirrel and have lived here longer than humans TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE THEM The Grey Squirrel The introduction of grey squirrels from America between 1876 and 1929 and their rapid spread had a devastating impact on red squirrel populations in the British Isles. In contrast to the red squirrel which has evolved in Britain over millennia, the heavier grey squirrel lives in denser populations than British woodland can sustain. Food The higher population density of the larger grey squirrel results in a higher daily food requirement from its habitat. It can eat a greater variety of plant foods at an earlier stage of maturity. For example, red squirrels find unpalatable the tannin in acorns, a plentiful and high energy food source favoured by greys which will also eat all the other foods eaten by reds. The outcome is inevitable: the red squirrels are literally starved out. Disease Grey squirrels are carriers of squirrel-pox virus and often remain asymptomatic. The disease is devastating for red squirrels and an outbreak can wipe out the majority or all of a local population. Infected individuals can take up to two weeks to die, often starving to death as they are unable to feed themselves. They aim to: · Raise awareness of the plight of red squirrels · Protect red squirrels by keeping red and grey squirrels apart · Fund research on how to secure the long term future of the red squirrel in the UK · Encourage successful populations of red squirrels · Reintroduce red squirrels within the UK where conditions are right · Secure the red squirrel’s natural environment by ensuring our woodlands are healthy References: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-59819349 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/08/squirrel-attacks-nyc-neighborhood-fear https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/buckley-grey-squirrel-stripe-attack-biting-village-wales-residents-b974135.html https://www.nola.com/news/vicious-squirrel-attacks-elderly-slidell-man-causing-significant-injuries-authorities-say/article_abbe15e0-c627-11ec-85e6-4b5c44d8f87a.html https://6abc.com/squirrel-attacks-aggressive-squirrels-queens-rego-park-65th-drive-and-fitchett-street/9233808/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/carleton-place-squirrel-1.6385340 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/alabama-mans-trial-keeping-meth-fueled-attack-squirrel-delayed-rcna13654 https://fox59.com/news/national-world/vicious-squirrel-attack-sends-louisiana-man-to-hospital/ https://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/10-nutty-facts-to-make-you-appreciate-squirrels/ https://www.treehugger.com/happy-squirrel-appreciation-day-4868817 https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/7-fascinating-facts-about-squirrels/ https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/10-nutty-facts-about-squirrels/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/squirrels https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgp9x4/the-story-of-primal-astrology-how-one-man-created-an-entire-horoscope https://www.primalastrology.com/ https://www.primalastrology.com/squirrel.html