Do Grey Squirrels have any good points?

[Catkin16]

I'm a student from Glasgow University, and our biology class is doing a project. Each group has to choose an animal that should be eliminated from the planet (on the grounds of being too destructive), and then defend the cause of an a different animal chosen by another group. The animal that our group has to defend is the Grey Squirrel, and I can't think of anything positive about it at all! Does anyone know of any benefits that Grey Squirrels have to their environment, or any predators that depend on them, or just any reason why they shouldn't be eliminated? Any help would be very appreciated!

[smartie]

Not the easiest one, I have to admit. Only two things immediately occur:

- that they are a good means of seed and nut dispersal, and therefore help the spread of trees and other plants

- that, because they are so widespread, and so cute and lively, they are often a good early introduction for children to an interest in wildlife

Not much of a clinching argument What other animals are you up against?

I'd like to exterminate the mosquito.

[aeshna5]

It strikes me as rather crass to debate whether an organism has good points or not+ whether they should be eliminated or not. They are not here for our benefit!

In their native North America they are an integral part of the ecosystem- help in seed dispersal of trees + if you saw TV last night provided a tasty snack for a Red-tailed Hawk. Other predators such as Great Horned Owls, Goshawks, martens etc will prey on them too.

Obviously they should never have been released in UK or Europe- but that is mankind's fault, not the Grey Squirrels. Here they are indirectly responsible for the demise of the Red Squirrel, maybe effecting populations of some bird species + possibly Dormice as well as the destruction of many trees.

But whereas huge sums of money are now spent on saving Red Squirrels, just over 100 years ago Red Squirrels had a bounty on them for causing damage to trees + are just as partial to eggs!

I wish Greys hadn't been brought here, I accept control is necessary, yet I can still enjoy observing their behaviour + find them attractive animals despite their "sins".

[nightshade]

The British Ecology does not benefit from the presence of the grey squirrel
Europe is girding up as it spreads into France via Italy
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...squirrels.html

[matt_xyz]

I find it hard to accept that Grey Squirrels have no ecological benefit whatsoever. I suppose you need to consider what their role is in their native North America, and presumably some of these benefits also occur here. Also, you should consider the role of the Red Squirrel in the UK (although this isn't indigenous either is it?) and, again, presumably greys now perform some of this role. As has been stated above they must aid seed dispersal and also form food for predators.

If you listen to some people greys are responsible for everything from global warming to third world debt

Matt

[Fourwings]

If nothing else I suppose they are highly entertaining to watch, but not when they are trying to tear the base off of your bird feeders

[Crested Newt]

Originally Posted by smartie

Not the easiest one, I have to admit. Only two things immediately occur:

- that they are a good means of seed and nut dispersal, and therefore help the spread of trees and other plants

- that, because they are so widespread, and so cute and lively, they are often a good early introduction for children to an interest in wildlife

Not much of a clinching argument What other animals are you up against?

I'd like to exterminate the mosquito.

I totally agree with the Mosquito they just annoy

[Kymba]

I am a grey squirrel Fan.. I adore them, they are highly intelligent, fascinating to watch, and can be highly entertaining..
They didnt ask to be brought into this country , they werent given a choice, so why should they be punished in this awful way.! They have as much right to be here as any other creature

I go for Mosquito's to.. I get bitten to pieces every year!!!

[svenrufus]

Greys don't strictly speaking fill the same niche as reds. They do a more or less similar job, but in subtly different ways which can have big impacts. Eg. taking hazelnuts before they are fully ripe, and when burying them if they are forgotten they have much less chance of germinating. If Reds had done this the nuts would have been more mature and so more likely to germinate. There are apparently less new hazels in grey squirrel areas than might be expected under other circumstances - I think I got that from Rackham.

In terms of what benefit the Greys provide, well, any action which looks destructive is constructive for something else. If they damage trees, it opens up niches for fungi and invertebrates. If they damage them enough and they kill a tree, it adds complexity to the structure of the woodland environment. In a similar vein to the debate about killing crows elsewhere on this site, we have a very human perspective of the things going on in the natural world - we may not like what we see, but other wildlife may see things entirely differently.

Given a magic wand, I would eradicate Greys from the UK, but if your assignment is to consider wiping them off the face of the entire earth, then no, they have a place - it's just that that place is about 6000 miles to the west.

[DaiTheDragon]

It may have been wrong to introduce the Grey Squirrel but it is here and here to stay. It is now part of our nature and as such we have no right to eradicate it. If it were possible to totally get rid of the Grey Sqirrel then how long would it take for the Red Squirrel to to spread to all parts of the country, if indeed it would. I for one would dearly miss seeing Squirrels for who knows how long, 20 years?
I would love to see a Red Squirrel but it’s a case of me going to them rather than them coming to me.

Dai