Pine Martens differentially kill gray squirrels rather than red ones. The reason being, apparently, the weight difference between grays and reds. The grays, being heavier, spend more time on the ground whereas the more graceful red squirrels can hide away from pine martens on the ends of lighter-weight branches.
I have visions of a gray squirrel, like a furry cast member in Last of the Summer Wine, clinging desperately to a branch as it is lowered to the ground in front of a ravenous pine marten. While the red, secure in its little twiggy haven, wishes it luck and hopes it's not contracted squirrel pox.
Nature. Red in tooth and claw and bushy tail. It ain't Beatrix Potter.
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Another view, from Humbert Wolfe:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-grey-squirrel/
It appears to be Pay Back time for the Grey Squirrels, they've invaded our country with impunity, without any border controls, and have like Mink and other predators become the scourge of both the Urban environment and the Rural. They even had the temerity to make their way into the loft of our vicarage, and had to be seen off by the Vicar's husband playing heavy metal on Steel Guitar in the loft space.
ReplyDeleteThis was after the DAC said it wasn't their job to deal with illegal migrants and referred them to the Society for the Protection of cruelty to animals, which was no help, believing that we had to be kind to these lovely little grey intruders.
And they were chewing the loft insulation, which isn't healthy, but they didn't seem worried about that, perhaps their constitution has adapted to eating anything. Like Grey Rats.