Sir, The red squirrel is the commonest squirrel in the world. It is an inhabitant of coniferous forests from Britain to Japan. However, the population in this country is a relic from the coniferous forests which covered much of the land after the last ice age.
The problem with the species in this country is that it is marginal in deciduous woodlands which are now the dominant cover. This is mainly because it cannot eat acorns, and is therefore largely reliant on hazelnuts. A pair of red squirrels require around five acres of pine forest for a viable territory. The grey suffers no such disadvantage, so will always out-compete.
ALAN MORRISS
Nutley, E Sussex
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Sir, It is not Squirrel Nutkin who should be at the top of the list for culling, it is Peter Rabbit.
Anyone who walks in the country can’t fail to notice the extensive damage rabbits are causing. Their warrens sometimes extend along several miles of footpaths, undermining and exposing the roots of the bordering trees and hedges. This damage is doing quite as much to devastate our countryside as the grey squirrel.
JOAN STARTIN
Guildford, Surrey