TaqMan assays for species identification of the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Denise B. O'Meara, Peter D. Turner, Lee Coffey, Catherine O'Reilly

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We have developed TaqMan based assays for species-specific identification of two species of squirrel found in the British Isles, the native red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the introduced north American grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). These assays correctly identified tissue and hair samples of both species and there was no cross-species amplification. This is a useful method for non-invasive surveys to help conserve the red squirrel and manage the spread of the grey squirrel in the UK and Ireland.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)603-604
Number of pages2
JournalConservation Genetics Resources
Volume4
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sep 2012

Keywords

  • Hair-tubes
  • Mitochondrial DNA
  • Non-invasive
  • Real-time PCR

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'TaqMan assays for species identification of the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this