Black Squirrels! April 25, 2011
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: black squirrel
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When I was younger, black squirrels were seen in these parts only in the city of Westfield, an hour and a half south of here. Now they seem to be extending their range, which is cool with me (not that they asked.) They’re close cousins to our ubiquitous gray squirrels, but somehow look more like wild animals oughta.
That’s according to me, of course.
Here’s one I saw in Hadley over the weekend:
Cute, huh?
Black squirrels are in fact gray squirrels with a mutation similar to albinism. They exist in pockets here and there. I’ve seen them in Michigan, and I’ve heard of them in Illinois. Your pocket of them are the closest ones to me that I know about.
Yes, a variant seemingly identical in every way except for their color. Westfield was loaded with them last time I visited, and happily, they’re expanding their range. I figured if anyone who visits here had heard of them, it might be you!
Toronto is the only place I’ve seen a population of black squirrels. The ones around here are gray and of a miniature size.
So apparently they have a much wider distribution than I’d imagined – Toronto, Michigan, Massachusetts… the worrrrld!!
we are seeing a few round here- some are such a shining black that they are more beautiful than cute!
True, sherry, black/blue like ravens!