Melanistic Squirrels in SOMD

[itsbob (Premo)]

Originally Posted by huntr1

IF I remember the article correctly, the black squirrels are decended from squirrels imported from Pa many years ago due to no or declinging population of, native squirrels.

A little late on in summer do you find it harder to spot black squirrels??

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by Beelzebaby666

Get that kid away from that thing!!

I hate it when people say, Awww how cute.


There's no word to describe how evil those little bastards are.

They say animals are good judges of character.

[Fubar]

Hmmmmmmmm-

[toppick08 (Premo)]

Originally Posted by TwilightImaging

The darkest squirrel I have seen around here...most are skinny greys.

That image is fantastic!

Cute shot...

and nice fox squirrel.

[itsbob (Premo)]

Originally Posted by jbr13

DC article about the Black Squirrel Population. They got them from Canada.

An Exotic Evolution

Google Black Squirrel, and you'll see 100 different stories about where they came from.

Most (not all) black squirrels are fox squirrels, and they will change color, the black is a cycle in their maturing.. the others are just a pigment change (abnormality) of our "normal" grey squirrel.

If they were anywhere on the contintent, I don't see any reason why anyone would have to import them.. they seem to pretty mobile all by themselves.

[itsbob (Premo)]

Originally Posted by desertrat

We had these in AZ, the forested part that is.

The hair on the ears suggests a baby fox squirrel?

Do like the white tail though!

[desertrat (Premo)]

Originally Posted by KurtPreston

Was this taken somewhere in St mary's? Cool shot.

No, just found it on google.

Originally Posted by itsbob

The hair on the ears suggests a baby fox squirrel?

Do like the white tail though!

It's a Kaibab squirrel.

The Kaibab Squirrel (Sciurus aberti kaibabensis) is a tassel-eared squirrel that lives in the Kaibab Plateau in the Southwest United States, in an area of 20 by 40 miles (30 by 60 km). The squirrel's habitat is confined entirely to the ponderosa pine forests of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and the northern section of Kaibab National Forest around the town of Jacob Lake, Arizona. In 1965, 200,000 acres (800 km²) of Kaibab squirrel habitat within Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest were declared the Kaibab Squirrel National Natural Landmark. It is not found anywhere else in the world.

It has a black belly, white tail, and tufted ears. The tufts on the ears grow longer with age and may extend 1 to 2 inches (25 to 50 mm) above the ears in the winter, but may not be visible in the summer.

The Kaibab squirrel lives in the ponderosa pine forests, where it builds its nest out of twigs and pine needles. It eats acorns, fruit, and fungi, as well as the seeds, bark, and twigs of the trees where it makes its home. The Kaibab squirrel's most significant source of food is the seeds found within ponderosa pine cones. Young squirrels are born between April and August.

Kaibab squirrels, ponderosa pines, and the fungi which grow in the vicinity of the ponderosas exist in a symbiotic relationship.

The Kaibab squirrel is an example of evolution occurring through geographic isolation. The Kaibab squirrel is related to the Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti) which is found on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. As the Canyon formed through erosion and separated the ponderosa pine forests on each rim from each other, the by-then isolated squirrels of the North Rim evolved into what is now a distinct subspecies.

In the past, the Kaibab squirrel was thought to be a distinct species (Sciurus kaibabensis), but today is considered a subspecies of the Abert's squirrel.

[Beelzebaby666]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

They say animals are good judges of character.

I was just trying to put him outside to go pee.

[cattitude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Cowgirl

They say animals are good judges of character.

I agree. I had a pet squirrel for 5 years. He HATED my ex. I had the squirrel before AND after the ex. The squirrel would chatter whenever the ex went near the cage and the squirrel bit him clear through his thumb. Maybe I should have listened to Rocky before I married the guy.

[Beelzebaby666]

The owner said it was the first time his squirrel had ever bitten anyone

I've been around them plenty.. It was just that one time and I've bee afraid of them since