Grey squirrels' diverse gut bacteria may aid in outcompeting red squirrels in the UK and Ireland.

A recent study suggests that the outcompeting of red squirrels by grey squirrels in the UK and Ireland could be due to their gut bacteria. Grey squirrels, an invasive species introduced from North America, carry a disease called squirrel pox which kills red squirrels but has no known lasting effect on them. The research, which analyzed the gut microbiome of both red and grey squirrels, found that grey squirrels have a more diverse gut bacteria. This difference in gut bacteria could potentially explain their better general health and access to a wider range of resources compared to red squirrels.

February 15, 2024
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