According to my extensive research on Wikipedia, black squirrels are a melanistic subgroup of the eastern grey squirrel. I have seen a few of them before but never as many as I've seen in Calgary. That is all I've seen here.Wikipedia says that before European colonization they may have outnumbered the grey variety. They are still locally common, especially in the North where the coat may be beneficial in colder climates by absorbing heat.
Sorry for the crummy picture. they won't let me near them and they are quick. The urban squirrels in Texas are a lot less wary.
1 comment:
Today, while walking home, I saw the first grey squirrel I've ever seen in Calgary. So there are some....
Post a Comment