Grey squirrels in Britain evoke a wide range of reactions. This volume presents a comprehensive and unique collection of peer-reviewed papers by scientists, experts and managers on critical aspects of grey squirrel biology, their parasites, diseases and management.There are papers that provide an overview of grey squirrels in their native range, their reproduction, diet and ranging behaviour, morphometric differnces between red and grey squirrels, as well as the role diseases play in red-grey squirrel interactions and their implications for public health. Other papers discuss pine martens and their potential impact on grey squirrel populations, grey squirrel economic damage, population management and the use of computer modelling research to help predict likely grey squirrel expansion and target limited resources. For the first time, wider ecosystem impacts of grey squirrels in different European habitats are also examined and knowledge gaps clearly identified. Despite a long presence of grey squirrels in Britain and Ireland, research funding has largely been focused on forest damage, red squirrel competition and disease, and many other impacts of grey squirrel ecology remain unexplored.
