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Black squirrels
Potty Lotty
Posts: 65
in Talkback
I have moved to a new house (and garden) and have discovered to our joy that there are black squirrels here. Even more surprising that they have white patches. The male ( I think) has 2 fully white legs making him look like he has white britches on! Has anyone else experienced this or are they quite unique!
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Hi Nancy
Whereabouts are you ? There are several pockets of melanistic grey squirrels in the UK - I've seen them near Woburn in Bedfordshire.
There's interesting information here http://ww2.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/departments/lifesciences/staff/helen_mcrobie.Maincontent.0009.file.tmp/Black%20Squirrels%20Genetics%20and%20Distribution.pdf
and more info here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11444893
Or are you in an area where there are red squirrels - there are occasionally black ones of those seen.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
p.s. they have been named Mr and Mrs Teapot the Third and thier family of little tea cups, that all have white markings too, but little splashes and dots only! My husband thought this was very silly but he lets me know when the Teapots and cups are in the garden!
Named by the teenagagers not us i hasten to add!
Wow, I didn't know that either, these must have some albanism then. I thought that albino was an either all or nothing, but I only relate that from humans.
No, no red squirrels, we are in stotfold beds and this area is known for the black ones but not black and white!
The parent of that one mated with a Panda Edd
In the sticks near Peterborough
Ah, Stotfold - Ma and Pa used to deliver milk from the farm around there many many years ago. We lived on a farm near Flitwick when I was small
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Wow I've never ever seen them that colour before
Awe cute!
A partially melanistic red squirrel?
Edited to add: Ah, not a Red Squirrel - an Eastern Grey Squirrel in America http://retrieverman.net/2010/09/25/the-mystery-squirrel/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
They are Canadian and another disease bearing invasive species. England as pretty much lost its red squirrel population over the past 60 years and these new introductions do not help.
Oh my goodness they are so cute, espeially the tiny baby panda like one! I am going to try and get photos to share of our family of black and white ones.