Spotted a Black Squirrel in the Yard
Went to toss the squirrels and birds their evening handful of peanuts yesterday, when this guy in the far end of the yard caught my gaze.
Photos aren't great, he was pretty far away, and the photos are my phone through cheapo binoculars, free hand.
Still a beauty, and a nice surprise for me.
It's a melanistic Eastern gray squirrel. They're some interesting theories on them in the black squirrel wiki, though a lot just seen to be guesses to me! 😉
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This is what the majority of squirrels look like here in Vancouver. It was pretty crazy to see them the first time I moved here though.
Huh... Maybe there is something to the more cold=more black squirrels theory...
I wonder why there aren't more black animals then. 🤔
Finland is full of red squirrels and I've never seen a black one.
They're a slightly different kind than the N-American ones I believe, but still, that theory makes no sense. Esp. if you take snow into account.
Yeah, the snow part is what had me skeptical.
This is what ours normally look like, and at least they blend in with trees and leaves.
Black is looking more like a predator's dinner to me!
My first exposure to these beauties was in Washington DC. Since it’s a tourist trap, they get really bold and one tried getting into my friend’s backpack!
I live in a city with a bunch so I usually get to see them in my backyard.
I had never seen any in person before, but this is the third I've seen this year. The one theory in the wiki says they concentrate around the Great Lakes, and they think this might be some advantage as the black keeps them warmer in the cold.
This better not be a harbinger of a horrible winter. 😔