DNA-FINGERPRINTING ANALYSIS OF SUBPOPULATIONS OF THE RED SQUIRREL (SCIURUS-VULGARIS, L 1758)

The relationships within two squirrel groups of 7 and 10 individuals l iving in small isolated forest areas (>>20 ha) were studied by DNA fin gerprinting. The study area was located in northwestern Germany, close to the town of Osnabruck. The degrees of relationship determined by t he multi locus probes 33.15 and MZ1.3 were >>20-40% higher in the two subpopulations compared with a group of unrelated squirrels. The band- sharing rates in the latter group varied between 6 and 57% (33.15) and 17 and 63% (MZ1.3), whereas the squirrels living in the two forest is lands had band-sharing rates between 13 and 80%, depending on the prob e used. Although the forest islands were isolated by fields and roads, there seemed to be a small genetic exchange between the squirrels of the forest islands and those of the next adjacent larger woodland area .