We report the first records of the eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) in Trans-Pecos Texas. Sciurus niger is widely established in pecan orchards in the Lower El Paso Valley of the Rio Grande, El Paso County. Expansion of this population to other pecan-growing regions along the Rio Grande in New Mexico is possible. Research is needed on both the extent of damage caused by S. niger to pecan production and the control methods in this situation. We recommend a goal of complete eradication of S. niger from this region. Sciurus niger should be delisted as a game species in El Paso County, Texas, and throughout New Mexico, where there are no native populations of the species.
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1 November 2013
Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger): New Threat to Pecan Orchards in Far West Texas
Jennifer K. Frey,
Jaime Iglesias,
Krysta Herman
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