Melanistic squirrel?

[Warren Bautista]

Is there such thing? I have seen what appeared to be a black squirrel in D.C. a year ago and I was wondering, could it be melanistic?

 

[lucanidae]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_squirrel

 

[scottyk]

Cool looking, aren't they

The squirrels up in the Toronto area are black. I was on a business trip up there and went hiking one day. The folks in the park probably thought I was nuts, photographing them and acting like I just discovered bigfoot or something....

 

[Warren Bautista]

Whaa? There are like 5 locations in NY where black squirrels are found yet I have never seen one here! whats up with thaat?

 

[scottyk]

Think they're still pretty rare in NY. I was born and raised on Long Island, and hiked and mountain biked all over the state. In 40 years I never saw a black squirrel...

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

there are a bunch in my hometown in indiana, i never see them anywhere else though

 

[arachyd]

We have white ones (both albino and black-eyed) and black ones here. They aren't common.

 

[Lorgakor]

Good lord they are all over the darned place here. Can't drive to work without seeing half a dozen on your way. We have a grey one living in a wall in our house and I see the black ones in our neighborhood all the time. Even the cats don't bother with them anymore they are so numerous.

 

[calum]

when I was in canada, I saw them everywhere.

 

[UrbanJungles]

Go to the Bronx Zoo, they run amuck all over the place. When I was a zookeeper there, I found a baby once and raised it up to later release.

 

[halfwaynowhere]

my brother saw one at a camp in big bear, CA. He took a picture from a distance, so its really blurry. He named it Ninja Squirrel.

 

[blazetown]

don't know if anyone knows this but the black squirrels (at least in canada) are and invasive species...Asian I believe possibly japanese?

 

[AbraxasComplex]

don't know if anyone knows this but the black squirrels (at least in canada) are and invasive species...Asian I believe possibly japanese?

Yep... they wiped out the Red Squirrel in Alberta. Literally killed them all. Squirrels can be aggressive.

 

[UrbanJungles]

Thhe black squirrels at the Bronx zoo (And in all NY) are just melanistic Grey Squirrels, they aren't an invasive.

 

[gecko_keeper/KBfauna]

I used to go hunting in northern Pa when I was a kid. They have red, grey, black and fox squirrels up there. Very cool.