Sustainable Squirrel Conservation

This book attempts to move the family of squirrels (Sciuridae) out of the shadow of large charismatic mammalsand to highlightmanagement failureswith the goal of movingtowards an improvedconservationapproach.Particular attention is paid tothe influence of taxonomic science on squirrel conservation. In addition, the authors show how human-driven climate change, global change and modern politics are shaping global squirrel populationsas well astheir surrounding environmentsand ecosystems. Squirrels are widespread around the globe, naturally occurring on every continent except Antarctica and Oceania, and they are certainly among theanimalsmost commonlyencounteredineveryday life.Despite this, the authors of this volume identify worrying gaps in squirrel conservation.Squirrels areoftenhunted, trapped, poached,and stressed, and management strategies andlegislation are often devisedin the absence of proper knowledge ofissues such aspopulation sizes, taxonomies,and trends.Together, thiscan result in severe population declines and even species extinction.By assessing their taxonomic situation, ecology, the evolution and divergence ofSciuridaearound the globe,andsquirrels' well-beingacross habitats, the authors set a baseline from which to launch future investigationsinto the conservation of squirrels and other species.Additionally, the authorshighlightthe influences of climate change, unsustainable growth, and various man-made threats to the future of this family.