Though squirrels are a common sight, I have always liked to stop and watch them. I used to watch the brave squirrels taunt the dogs in my mom's backyard. They would run along the top of the fence, stop, stare at the barking dogs, and run away. They would run back, but this time, they would edge a little closer to the dogs. The squirrels played games. I felt they mocked the dogs with their freedom, their lack of collar and fence.
I knew there were red squirrels and white squirrels, but I didn't know a black variety existed. When I moved to the East, I quickly spotted my first black squirrel. I saw the bushy tail from the corner of my vision. The small, pointed face looked at me. I stared at it in awe. Were they rare? Was this one just a really dark shade of grey? I spent several walking trips looking for them, and I quickly discovered they thrived. One black squirrel seemed to appear for every five or six grey squirrels I spotted.
Black squirrels are a subgroup of the eastern grey squirrel. They contain a high concentration of melanin, which gives them their dark coloring. The black squirrels thrive in Ontario, Canada, and they are present in northern and eastern parts of the United States. The black squirrels do well in cold temperatures, since they retain more heat than grey squirrels. Prior to the 16th century, it is believed there were larger populations of black squirrels. Their dark color gave them a perfect camouflage for the dark forests; as forests declined, the black squirrels' darkness became a weakness. They were easier to spot without the shade of the trees. The grey squirrels dominated.
Black squirrels were brought into several locations that resulted in those cities' current black squirrel populations. For example, ten black squirrels were brought to Kent State University from Canada in 1961. They continued to populate on the campus and the surrounding areas.
Other than their coloring, black squirrels are no different than grey squirrels. They have the same bristly tails and body shapes and sizes. Their diet consists of the same nuts, seeds, acorns, and tree bark. They can mate with one another and produce grey or black offspring.
Though my squirrel sightings faded with the winter, I have seen a few black squirrels this weekend. The shiny darkness of their coat looks beautiful against the snow. They still remind me of that sense of wonder I felt when first spotting one. They remind me of new places. They remind me of all the things I haven't seen. They remind me how little I know about the world I live in, but like the grey squirrels, they remind me to relax and enjoy my surroundings. I admire their spirited attitudes, their bravery, and their ability to prosper when their world is cut away. Squirrels still find the places and time to play.
Sources:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/01/kent_state_university_celebrat.html
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/Black%20Squirrel?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744:v0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID:9&ie=UTF-8&q=Black%20Squirrel&sa=Search#922
4 comments:
Those squirrels look like little lumps of moving coal. I've only ever seen a black squirrel in pictures. Recently, someone at work sent around an email about a black fawn. It's beautiful. In the squirrel's case, it enhances the oddity of an already odd-behaving animal.
One time I let my indoor cat out on the back porch (under supervision) for a bit of fresh air. During this, I began hearing this high pitched chittering and yells. I thought it was a bird, and my cat was staring up a small tree next to the porch. There, perched on the lowest branch, was a very angry squirrel. Ember's declawed and wouldn't know what to do to the squirrel if she ever caught one, so she was basically harmless to the squirrel. But on, it was so angry it was funny!
I first saw these in Kent, Ohio, and I had no idea that the population was a result of deliberate introduction! It's so interesting how they are not in every neighborhood in Pittsburgh, almost as if there are invisible but distinct boundaries of their habitats.
I love that you blogged about the black squirrel! We have them all over Metro Detroit (I haven't seen one in Atlanta, though) and they have a very bad reputation. They're carnivorous and mean; they eat their red and gray brethren. The story I heard is that the Kellogg family imported black squirrels from Europe to control an infestation of red squirrels in Battle Creek and that's how they got to Michigan. I don't know if you came across that at all in your research!
I believe the first time I ever saw one I was with you at Chatham! It's great to learn more about them.
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