Red Squirrels [UPSC Current Affairs]

According to recent reports, Wales’ red squirrels face being wiped out by a deadly virus (Killer Pox) unless a vaccine is developed, campaigners have warned. In this article, you can learn about red squirrels and the deadly virus affecting their population adversely. This topic is important for the IAS exam environment and ecology segments.

Red Squirrels

The red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.

Image source: www.bbc.com

• Red squirrels favour mixed forests with a healthy mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees.
• Its long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and running along branches.
• The red squirrel eats mostly the seeds of trees, fungi, nuts (especially hazelnuts but also beech, chestnuts and acorns), berries, vegetables, garden flowers, tree sap and young shoots.
• The IUCN lists red squirrels as being of “Least Concern” due to their extensive range and largely stable population.
• Grey squirrels readily out-compete red squirrels because they are bigger and better equipped to digest large seeds from broadleaf trees, such as acorns. Squirrelpox is another significant danger. 
• Over the winter (2022-23), killer pox killed up to 80% of red squirrels at one of three places in Wales.
• The effective operation to eradicate all gray squirrels has proven to be nearly impossible to replicate on the mainland.
• Gray squirrels that are invasive and non-native contain the squirrel pox virus, although they are unaffected by it.
• By coming into touch with gray squirrels carrying the pox virus, it led to the red squirrels almost going extinct.
• In just three weeks, the virus that causes wounds, blisters, and skin growths in the reds will have killed them.
• Red squirrels are killed by the virus, while grey squirrels are carriers but are immune to it.

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