black squirrels

[Eric R. Hugo]

mathog at seqvax.caltech.edu (David Mathog) wrote:

>
>Each Christmas we travel to my wife's parents' house in San Jose, CA.
>There are a lot of old trees in that neighborhood, and many many squirrels.
>I vaguely recall my in-laws mentioning several years ago that there was a
>black squirrel about, two years ago I saw one, and this year they appeared
>to make up about half of the squirrel population.  The "normal" squirrels
>are grey, but the black ones are a very dark coal-black color.  In
>addition, and this is based on just watching them - no measurements, the
>black ones are slightly smaller, and their tails are slightly less bushy...

There is a black variety (melanistic color phase) known in the Eastern Gray
Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) that is common in some parts of its range.
 I've seen these critters in Ontario, Canada (Bruce Penn. area)
 and I think in Michigan.
				Eric

				Eric


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