Secret to why grey squirrels outcompete reds may lie in gut bacteria – study

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The secret to why grey squirrels outcompete their pink counterparts may lie in their gut bacteria, scientists consider.

Grey squirrels are an invasive species from North America that was launched to the UK and Ireland in the late nineteenth century.

They out-compete the native pink squirrels for meals and area and carry a illness, referred to as the squirrel pox virus, which kills the reds however has no recognized lasting impact on the greys.

Grey squirrels additionally pose a risk to the sustainable administration of woodlands due to the injury they trigger to timber by bark stripping, a behaviour that was not absolutely understood by consultants.

Now an evaluation of the gut microbiome – the ecosystem of microbes that stay in intestines – of each pink and grey squirrels has revealed the latter to have a extra numerous gut bacteria.

The researchers used DNA sequencing strategies to determine the various kinds of bacteria in the heart of each pink and grey squirrels.

The workforce discovered a specific sort of microbe in the digestive techniques of grey squirrels that helps break down a plant compound referred to as oxalate.

According to the researchers, the presence of this bacteria suggests grey squirrels can digest calcium from tree bark, which may additionally clarify their damaging bark stripping behaviour.

The workforce stated its findings, printed in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, present grey squirrels haven’t solely higher normal well being and immunity in contrast to pink squirrels however additionally they have a broader weight loss plan and are in a position to entry a wider vary of assets.

Lead creator Roberto La Ragione, professor of veterinary microbiology and pathology on the University of Surrey, stated: “Red squirrels are now an endangered species in the UK.

“Not only are grey squirrels larger and more robust than red squirrels, we have now identified a significant difference in their gut bacterial microbiota, potentially giving them another advantage over reds.”

Study co-author Chris Nichols, conservation proof supervisor on the Woodland Trust, stated: “The more we know about grey squirrels, the more equipped we’re going to be in the future to tackle the threats they pose to red squirrels and our native trees, which is one of the biggest problems for forest conservation in the UK.”

He added: “More research needs to be done to further understand the relationship between red and grey squirrels and their gut microbiota, but perhaps in the future we could develop this research into methods that could promote healthy gut bacteria in red squirrels or new ways of preventing squirrels from damaging trees.”