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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elliot87" data-source="post: 473112" data-attributes="member: 25183">That's not actually true, there is no shortage of habitat for reds, they are equally happy in broadleaved and conifer woodlands. They tend to get forced into conifer blocks as these are less favoured by greys. Greys will outcompete them for food and will gradually replace them in an area over time through competition alone. The biggest problem is the squirrel pox virus, which greys carry but are not affected by. It gets passed on to reds and kills within two weeks and can wipe out a whole red population. Greys replace reds 25 times faster than competition alone when squirrel pox is a factor.If habitat alone was the problem there would still be populations in large conifer plantations down South but that isn't the case. Man is responsible because we introduced the greys, if we hadn't done that reds would still exist across mainland Britain.</blockquote>