Gray and red squirrel sightings are common, but what about a white or black squirrel? Here's what to know about rare colored squirrels.
We’re all familiar with squirrels. Whether you think they’re adorable critters or wish they didn’t have a habit of sniffing out your bird feeders, you’ve almost certainly seen one, two, or 10. That said, while eastern gray squirrels or fox squirrels tend to be frequent visitors, you might stop in your tracks if you saw a black squirrel, or even a white squirrel.
Here’s what to know about unusual colorations in these busy, bushy-tailed critters, including how it happens, which squirrel subspecies are affected, and where you might see them.
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Are Black Squirrels a Unique Species?
The first thing to understand about black squirrels is that you’d be unlikely to spot one in your yard. While it’s technically possible, it’s improbable. “Less than 1% of all squirrels are black,” says Sarah Tomke, a postdoctoral researcher with the Wildlife Futures Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
As Sarah explains, a black squirrel’s coat is the result of genetic mutation; black squirrels aren’t their own species. In gray squirrels, the mutation causes the melanin receptor protein to become overactive, and the squirrel displays a unique black coat. In fox squirrels, all-black coloring can be the result of mutations in two different genes, but the result is the same.
Psst—here’s where you might find a squirrel nest in your yard.
Where Can You See Black Squirrels?
Because we tend to like unusual or quirky things, humans have protected black squirrels and moved them across the United States. While they’re still a rarity, black squirrels are beloved on college campuses like Kent State and the University of Pennsylvania, and the cities surrounding them.
“There is a population on campus that everyone loves,” Sarah confirms. “They’re the unofficial mascot of UPenn. I wouldn’t say the population is enormous, but there are quite a few black squirrels.”
Birds & Blooms experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman elaborated. “Eastern fox squirrels and eastern gray squirrels can occur in a black color morph, but such dark fox squirrels are seen most often in the southeastern states. The black morph of the gray squirrel, by comparison, is most frequently found farther north, around the Great Lakes. There are several places in Ohio where a high percentage of eastern gray squirrels are of the black morph, reflecting the way this interesting but harmless genetic mutation can spread through a local population.
Through human intervention, black squirrels have also made their way to Vancouver and the United Kingdom.
Go nuts over these fun facts about squirrels.
Are White Squirrels Albino?
White squirrels, on the other hand, are slightly more complicated. “White squirrels could be either albino or leucistic,” Sarah says. Albino squirrels lack any pigment, which affects more than just their fur. “They also have pink or light blue eyes, and a pink nose, as well,” Sarah elaborates. “They don’t have any dark coloration at all.”
True albino squirrels are extremely rare, with estimates putting them at one in 100,000. They’ve been glimpsed in a few places around the country, including Washington D.C. There’s also a beloved white squirrel population in the small town of Olney, Illinois.
Leucistic squirrels produce some melanin, meaning they aren’t as snowy white as their albino counterparts. “The issue there is that the melanin doesn’t get distributed evenly throughout the body,” Sarah says. “So, for a white squirrel, it still has white fur — it might be on its entire body, or just in patches, called ‘piebald.’” Piebald squirrels have dark eyes and dark eyes, and they’re able to produce melanin: they just can’t produce it evenly.
Perhaps even more so than black squirrels, white squirrels often owe their safety to human intervention. Sarah notes that because white stands out so brightly in nature, white squirrels find themselves a target of predators and are generally even more difficult to find than black squirrels.
“There are fewer white squirrel populations than black squirrel populations, because they’re so difficult to keep alive,” she says. “Usually, in those populations, people are protecting them to a bigger extent.” Albino squirrels can also suffer a variety of health complications, including hearing loss and vision problems.
Other Rare Colored Squirrels
Squirrels don’t just come in “normal” colors and black or white morphs, either. Brown squirrels can appear as the result of a pairing between a black and gray squirrel. (The offspring of a black and a black squirrel would also be black, which is how populations continue.)
In addition, Sarah mentions a specific coloration she enjoys called isabellinism. She describes it as causing a “washed-out” appearance, meaning melanin is distributed through the body, but dulled. This results in an isabelline squirrel with a diluted, gray or yellowish color. “It’s very rare, but it does show up once in a while,” Sarah says.
About the Experts
Dr. Sarah Tomke is a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Futures Program. She is a geneticist and wildlife biologist who currently researches fox squirrels in Pennsylvania.
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
