The black squirrel is a melanistic variety of the
eastern gray squirrel. Black squirrels have one or two copies of a mutant pigment gene. If the squirrel has two copies, it will be jet black. If it has one copy, it will be brown-black. Gray mating pairs have two copies of a normal pigment gene and cannot produce black offspring. They can be found wherever eastern gray squirrels live. Overall, there there may be 1 black squirrel for every 10,000 eastern gray squirrels, although there are areas where the black squirrel is common, or even predominant. I found this black squirrel among other eastern gray squirrels on the grounds of the capital in Charleston, West Virginia.
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| Black squirrel in Charleston, West Virginia |
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| Black squirrel in tree in Charleston, West Virginia |
I had no idea they were so rare. I should have paid more attention.
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ReplyDeleteI saw one this week on my way to Greenville, NC and was fascinated. I'd never even heard of a black squirrel, much less seen one. Cool sighting!
ReplyDeleteI see them occasionally when I pick my wife up at work at capital
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