black squirrels

[Kimberly Smith]

>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 Hugo, Ph.D.// |:,\\': | \\      // | :,\\': | \\      // | :,\\': | \\
>e_hugo at dsu1.dsu.nodak.edu\ | | \\  // | | //  \\ | | \\  // | | //  \\ | |
>Asst. Professor, Biology  \\ | :,\\': | //      \\ | :,\\': | //      \\ |
>Dickinson State University  \\ //  \\ //          \\ //  \\ //          \\
>Dickinson, ND  58601    |PGP 2.6 Key available from most key servers

Another population of black gray squirrels exists on the golf courses 
associated with a large retirement community (Bella  Vista) in 
northwestern Arkansas.  It would be interesting to determine the 
distribution of these small black morph populations and see what 
environmental factors account for that distribution.
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Kimberly G. Smith                    |  If we all weren't so crazy,
Department of Biological Sciences    |  we would all go insane!
University of Arkansas               |  - Jimmy Buffet