Greys carry virus and are more aggressive The red squirrel is indigenous to Britain and as recently as the 1940s was spread throughout the country. Its numbers reached a peak of 3.5m in the late 19th century. However, the introduction of grey squirrels from America in the 1870s had a debilitating effect on the reds. Grey squirrels, whose numbers have grown to an estimated 3.3m, have cut the population of reds in several ways. More than half the greys carry the squirrelpox virus, which is deadly to reds but to which the greys are immune. They are also bigger and compete aggressively for food, and have driven the red squirrel out of its natural habitats, particularly in southern England. About 75% of Britain’s remaining red squirrels are in Scotland.
link: Briefing: Squirrel populations - Times Online
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