Space invaders: effects of invasive alien Pallas’s squirrel on home range and body mass of native red squirrel

Mazzamuto, Maria Vittoria; Morandini, Marina; Panzeri, Mattia; Wauters, Luc A.; Preatoni, Damiano; Martinoli, Adriano

doi:10.1007/s10530-017-1396-2

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…High food availability also attracts the presence of the native squirrel, which has a similar diet [62,64]. The observed aggregation between these two squirrels is noteworthy, because previous studies have reported the competitive exclusion of native squirrels by introduced ones [109,110]. However, we focused on two species of squirrels with different habitats (the Mexican red-bellied squirrel is predominantly arboreal and the rock squirrel is clearly saxicolous) and found that both seem to benefit from the same type of vegetation patches within our study area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

This town ain't big enough for both of us…or is it? Spatial co-occurrence between exotic and native species in an urban reserve

et al. 2019

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Exotic species pose a threat to most ecosystems because of their potential to establish negative interactions with native biota. However, exotic species can also offer resources to native species, especially within highly modified environments such as urban ecosystems. We studied 17 exotic-native pairs of species with the potential to compete with one another, or in which one of the species could offer resources to the other, in an urban ecological reserve located within Mexico City. We used two-species occupancy models to analyze the potential association between the presence of the exotic species and the spatial distribution of the native species, as well as to assess if these species tend to avoid each other (negative spatial interaction) or to co-occur more often than expected under the hypothesis of independent occurrences (positive spatial interaction). Our results revealed few cases in which the exotic species influenced occupancy of the native species, and these spatial interactions were mainly positive, indicated by the fact that the occupancy of the native species was usually higher when the exotic species was also present. Seven of the eight observed non-independent patterns of co-occurrence were evident during the dry months of the year, when resources become scarce for most species. Our results also demonstrate that the observed patterns of species co-occurrence depend on the distance to the nearest urban structure and the amount of herb, shrub, and tree cover, indicating that these habitat features influence whether native species avoid or co-occur with exotic species. Our study represents an important contribution to the understanding of temporal dynamics in the co-occurrence between exotic and native species within urban ecological reserves.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

This town ain't big enough for both of us…or is it? Spatial co-occurrence between exotic and native species in an urban reserve

et al. 2019

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“…In these two European countries, researchers and citizens have reported a lower number of red squirrel observations, mainly at the periphery of the area on which Pallas's squirrels have become established. In Italy, Mazzamuto and coworkers specifically described the competition mechanism between Pallas's squirrels and Eurasian red squirrels and the outcome of interspecific interactions [102,111]. The native and invasive species have a high degree of niche overlap and compete for space and food resources [111].…”

Section: Harm To Native Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Italy, Mazzamuto and coworkers specifically described the competition mechanism between Pallas's squirrels and Eurasian red squirrels and the outcome of interspecific interactions [102,111]. The native and invasive species have a high degree of niche overlap and compete for space and food resources [111]. Red squirrels, when in cooccurrence with the IAS, are distributed in patches and increase the intraspecific space overlap up to three times [111].…”

Section: Harm To Native Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The native and invasive species have a high degree of niche overlap and compete for space and food resources [111]. Red squirrels, when in cooccurrence with the IAS, are distributed in patches and increase the intraspecific space overlap up to three times [111]. There is no niche partitioning in space use, since the home ranges of the two species overlap considerably.…”

Section: Harm To Native Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exotic Pet Trade as a Cause of Biological Invasions: The Case of Tree Squirrels of the Genus Callosciurus

Mazzamuto

Wauters

Koprowski

2021

Biology

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The trade of non-native pets, especially of non-domesticated and exotic animals, and their subsequent release and establishment of populations is one of the major pathways of introduction for invasive alien reptiles, amphibia, birds and mammals. Here, we use a group of arboreal mammals, tree squirrels of the genus Callosciurus, as a well-documented case study, reviewing the pathways of introduction, the current areas of non-native distribution, the rate of establishment success and the challenge and legal importance of species identification. We further illustrate the importance of early detection and effective monitoring methods and plans. Next, we document how they interfere with native species, their risk of acting as vectors for emerging infectious diseases and their potential role in maintaining parasitic infections that can affect human health. We conclude by reviewing the current management, or the lack of it, and highlight the diverse biological, social, political and economic reasons that make control/eradication of these charismatic species difficult or even impractical in most countries. However, reviewing the only two successful eradications of the IAS, we highlight the need to acknowledge the public opinion and the importance of communication, transparency and the engagement of a diversity of stakeholders to create a consensus about the actions to undertake.

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“…About 250 squirrel introduction events by at least 20 species have occurred in the last 150 years (Bertolino, ; Bertolino & Lurz, ), most of which have been successful (Bertolino, ). The impacts of alien squirrels range from competitive exclusion of native species (Gurnell, Wauters, Lurz, & Tosi, ; Mazzamuto, Morandini, et al, ), to tree debarking (Kuo, ; Mayle, Proudfoot, & Poole, ; Mori, Mazzoglio, Rima, Aloise, & Bertolino, ), and parasite/disease transmission (Marsot et al, ; Romeo et al, ; Tompkins, Sainsbury, Nettleton, Buxton, & Gurnell, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating climate and land‐use change scenarios in modelling the future spread of invasive squirrels in Italy

Febbraro

Menchetti

Russo

et al. 2019

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim The establishment and spread of invasive alien species may be influenced by several mutually interacting factors, whose understanding is paramount to develop effective biosecurity policies. However, studies focused on modelling spatially explicit patterns of future invasion risk have so far focused on species response to climate change impacts, while land‐use change has been neglected. We investigated how the interplay between climate and land‐use change could affect the future potential distribution and dispersal corridors of four alien squirrels introduced to Europe (Sciurus carolinensis, Callosciurus finlaysonii, Callosciurus erythraeus and Eutamias sibiricus). Location and Methods Our study was conducted in Italy. We used Species Distribution Models and circuit theory methods to test whether future scenarios based only on climate change predict a different effect on range and connectivity of alien squirrel populations, compared to scenarios that include both climate and land‐use changes. Results Scenarios based only on climate change predicted a range increase and a high geographic stability (>50%) for most species, with different, yet limited, effects on connectivity corridors. Conversely, scenarios based on both climate and land‐use change showed a loss in range extent and a low geographic stability (<50%) of both range and dispersal corridors for most species. Main conclusions Scenarios considering both climate and land‐use change provide predictions on invasion risk that overturn those including only climate change. The effect of global warming alone would lead to a considerable range expansion of all species. Conversely, when land‐use change is added, a potential loss in suitable habitat and dispersal corridors is predicted for alien squirrels, hence limiting their range expansion. We recommend using multiple drivers in models to obtain reliable predictions for implementing biosecurity policies related to invasive alien species.

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Space invaders: effects of invasive alien Pallas’s squirrel on home range and body mass of native red squirrel

Cited by 15 publications

References 75 publications

This town ain't big enough for both of us…or is it? Spatial co-occurrence between exotic and native species in an urban reserve

This town ain't big enough for both of us…or is it? Spatial co-occurrence between exotic and native species in an urban reserve

Exotic Pet Trade as a Cause of Biological Invasions: The Case of Tree Squirrels of the Genus Callosciurus

Integrating climate and land‐use change scenarios in modelling the future spread of invasive squirrels in Italy

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