Some of the Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) at my local marshland park are not gray—they are black. Some of them are pure black, while others, like this one that I photographed yesterday, seem to be a mixture of gray and black. What’s going on here?
According to Wikipedia, black squirrels are a “melanistic subgroup” of the Eastern Gray Squirrel caused by the presence of mutant pigment genes. If there are two mutant genes present, the squirrels will be jet black, but they will be brownish-black if only one such gene is present.
In a fascinating bit of historical trivia, the black subgroup seems to have been predominant throughout North America prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, as its dark color helped them hide in old growth forests which tended to be very dense and shaded. As time passed, hunting and deforestation led to biological advantages for gray-colored individuals.
Squirrels seems to be very active right recently, preparing for the colder days to come. They always seem to be in a big hurry and I was happy to be able to photograph this one as it took a short break from its frenetic activity.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful photo, Mike. I like the fluffy, spiky tail silhouette.
Thanks. This guys seem to be running around so much that it was more of a problem getting a shot than I had imagined. I was pretty happy with the angle that I managed, though I was a little bothered at first by the broken branch in the photo.
We have a family of these guys in our neighborhood. They are stunning.
I am always a little surprised when I see a black squirrel. All of the ones that I saw in my childhood were gray, so I assumed they all would always be that color.
This is in our front yard. My wife tosses food out for birds and squirrels. https://flic.kr/p/dfsjSy
We’ve had at least a couple around here for a long time.
I’ve seen dark squirrels but never one that black. It is very striking. I have loads of grey squirrels in my garden who I think may find food too easily come by since I’m sure they have pot bellies and spare tires.
These squirrels are in a wooded area and may have to work a little harder for their food. The black ones are uncommon enough that I really notice them when I am out and happen to see one.
Great information…Enjoyed the cute little guy.
Nice shot , Mike ! A rare perspective !
utham
Thanks, Utham. Generally I don’t like to take shots at such a sharp angle looking upwards, but I’ll definitely do so if there are no better options.
How timely that you posted this…. I was just with my family at the NY Botanical Gardens and someone pointed out a very dark, brownish-black squirrel like this. Alas, he scampered into a hole in the tree before I could snap a photo, but we all remarked about how unusual his coloring seemed. Really appreciate all the fascinating information you provided about them!
We have many of them here. They came from Canada a number of years ago, now they have multiplied.
It’s fascinating to here where the black squirrels can be found. I don’t remember seeing a single one growing up in Massachusetts.
Great find. I’ve seen a lot of squirrels but never a black one. I’d like to see a white one too, but I think they’re even rarer than the blacks.
I think that albino squirrels are really rare. The black ones are common in some places, but non-existent in many other places.
I’ve never seen a black squirrel but the local grey ones here are not very cooperative when it comes to having their photo taken.
Normally the squirrels are in such constant motion that I am unable to get a shot. On occasion, though, they will pause or stop to eat something and are distracted enough that I can snap off a photo.
Reminds me of this post on my blog: http://ninasnaturediary.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/polychrome-squirrel/
We have quite a few black squirrels in Gaithersburg as well as “mestizo” gray/black squirrels. (There seems to be quite a bit of inter-marriage going on.) I’ve noticed that the black ones’ tails are less bushy, so when I see a black squirrel with a nice bushy tail or a grey squirrel with a ratty one, I assume it’s probably the product of an inter-racial couple.