Datos sobre el estatus de la ardilla roja Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 en la Sierra de Gata (Salamanca)

Abstract

The red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris is a widely distributed species in the Iberian peninsula but in the western Sistema Central is scarce and ocurrs in isolated nucleus. During spring, summer and autumn 2008 sistematic transects for obtaining data about the status of the species in the north of the Sierra de Gata were carried out. The poor results (7.41 % of samples positives) indicates the species is rare in the area, detected in two pine forest of Pinus pinaster in the proximities of the villages of Navasfrías (29TPE86) and Robleda (29TQE07). The estimated densities from drey counts were 0.42 squirrels/ha and 1.06 squirrels/ha, respectively, comprised in the range of variation dated for this species. The scarcity of the species can be related to a highly punctual presence, to a recent expansion from the closest population nucleus (Sierra de Francia) or as a consequence of an human-induced introduction.