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If a black squirrel from the South End mated with a white squirrel from JP, would we get Holstein squirrels?
By adamg on Tue, 11/10/2020 - 10:28am
Way down here in remotest Roslindale, our squirrels seem to come in one variety: Gray. So on a trip up to the South End this morning, this black squirrel, foraging along Harrison Avenue, came as a bit of a surprise.
Well, at least to us. He has quite the fan base already:
He’s our BMC parking lot friend! We cheer him on from our giant windows in the NICU overlooking MA Ave/Harrison Ave corner. He’s lovely scenery for that particular spot. First “city” one I’ve ever seen
— AKSN in a mask (@shipenewbery) November 10, 2020
Based on reports we're getting, from Brighton to Bremen Street in East Boston to Harvard Square and Boston Common and Cambridge, black squirrels are not that unheard of around here.
I have lots on the Acton/Concord border. Some red ones too. The hawks appreciate the variety.
— Not Jackie Jensen (@JJensenRF) November 10, 2020
I have been seeing more of them in Cambridge lately. I have also seen a couple of white squirrels (not albino). There was one day in Kendall Square where I saw grey, black, and white together. All we need now is a red squirrel. pic.twitter.com/C3JGq2336V
— Robert Winters (@Robert02139) November 10, 2020
There are bunches of them near us (between Harvard and Porter). So much so that we sometimes talk about opening a pub and naming it "An Fheorag Dhubh," with a black squirrel rampant on a sign out front.
— R. S. Y. Buchanan (@rsybuchanan) November 10, 2020
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Comments
At least two of the black
At least two of the black squirrels are seen regularly in Harvard Yard.
Would love to see a Belted Galloway hybrid
n/t
Beat me to it!
..
Rozzie Squirrels
Just the other day I saw a squirrel that was charcoal gray, without the white belly that's on the standard uniform. My one semester of genetics suggests it's a dilute version of the black one.
Black squirrels in the Fells
There are a lot of black squirrels in my neck of the Fells these days, too. It also seems like they are smaller than the usual squirrelspects, but their black coats may simply be less poofy. Does anyone know if they are actually a different sub species moving in?
I have to wonder if there is something adaptive about this sudden rise in black squirrel numbers. A response to red tailed hawks and other raptors becoming more prevalent in the last 20 years? The white ones may survive only because they are less conspicuous in concrete-laden environments, but the black ones seem to be expanding.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirrel?
n/t
Never seen them this far south
When I was a little kid in the 1960s we used to visit cousins in Ottawa and get excited over the cute black squirrels they had. Never saw any but grey ones in NYC. Wonder if they've been gradually expanding their territory over the decades.
Most Beauty Shops per capita in Southern Middlesex County
How do we prove that the black squirrels are natural? Do the collars and the cuffs match?
What I read once was....
that when the Northeast had big old growth forests--before they all got cut down to make boats and such by the colonials--the black coloration was much more common with this species. I think it's just a recessive trait that once conferred an advantage but doesn't anymore.
I've got a feeling...
Are bears next?
If there is a bear
Next? You mean "now".
One in our area last year (southern edge of the Middlesex Fells). It apparently denned up for the winter and found its way to Arlington in the spring where it was captured and relocated.
Only a matter of time until they start terrorizing Brookline the western hinterlands of Boston.
Black Squirrels are
"Melanistic" squirrels. They have a genetic mutation that causes increased production of melanin. I, for one, find them exceedingly awesome. We see them fairly frequently in Watertown.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_squirrel
Black squirrels = grey squirrels
Turns out that black squirrels are just grey squirrels with a mutation. Same for white squirrels.
https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/mammals/squirrels/abou...
The black one is my neighbor
It's lived in Franklin Square park for several years now. I saw it yesterday when it ventured across East Brookline St and into the garden next to the Cathedral homes. Seems like a happy little squirrel.
East Boston Squirrels
These black squirrels have been a regular sight in my East Boston neighborhood for years now. They tend to come out in the early morning.
White Squirrels at MGH
Lurking in the trees on Blossom Street. They must be Residents at the Squirrel Med School on the Esplanade. If not, they are escapees from some twisted genetic experiment.
There were a pair of calico squirrels in Egleston..
..about 7 years ago. One more vibrant red, cream and dark brown than the other. Mutant grey squirrels.
Very pretty!
Their parents
were fond of nibbling on empty crack vials.