Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Daily energy expenditure (DEE) was measured in sympatric populations of red and grey squirrels using the doubly labelled water technique. Grey squirrels had significantly higher DEEs than red squirrels. However, the difference between the species was not separable from the effects of body mass on DEE. The DEEs of both species were in accordance with published allometric predictions incorporating body mass and ambient temperature. The differences in energetic requirements and social dominance, both consequences of body size, may represent means by which grey squirrels exert more interspecific competition on red squirrels than do conspecifics, potentially driving populations below viable levels in some sites.

Original publication

DOI

10.1098/rspb.2001.1700

Type

Journal article

Journal

Proc Biol Sci

Publication Date

22/08/2001

Volume

268

Pages

1731 - 1736

Keywords

Analysis of Variance, Animals, Body Weight, Cycadopsida, Deuterium, Energy Metabolism, Environment, Magnoliopsida, Oxygen Isotopes, Sciuridae, Species Specificity, Trees, Water