What are the reasons for the decline of the red squirrel population in England?
3. Reasons for the decline 3.1 Although the precise reasons for the decline remain unclear, three main factors have been suggested. These are * disease; * loss and fragmentation of habitat; * competition with grey squirrels. 3.1.1 Disease Squirrels carry a variety of internal and external parasites. Although most of these cause little discomfort to the animals, there are two in particular which are known for their debilitating and often fatal effects. Coccidiosis is caused by a parasitic protozoan of the genus Eimeria. This attacks the epithelial lining of the intestine, and serious infections may result in bloody diarrhoea as pieces of the gut wall become sloughed off. The disease is transmitted as an oocyst in the faeces which may remain infective in the environment for many months. The precise method of ingestion is not known but it appears that individuals may be prone to reinfection, causing a progressively debilitated state which may result in death (Gumell, 1987). Red squirrels
