White Squirrels In NC

[Devilwin]

The town of Brevard, NC, is well known for its large colony of leucistic (white) eastern gray squirrels. These squirrels are not a different species, but merely a color morph. About 35% 0f the gray squirrels in Brevard are white to some degree, and many are solid white. Both solid gray and solid white young can be found in the same litter.
The town of Walkertown also has a small colony of white squirrels. I saw one in King, NC, and was determined to get him on camera, and finally succeeded. King is not far from Walkertown, I believe the genes are spreading. Here is the King white squirrel..ws1.jpg

[budwom]

Ha, I was just visiting Belchertown, Massachusetts today where friends have a bunch of black (grey) squirrels...same basic grey squirrel, just a different point on the color spectrum like the white ones I suppose.

[Devilwin]

Ha, I was just visiting Belchertown, Massachusetts today where friends have a bunch of black (grey) squirrels...same basic grey squirrel, just a different point on the color spectrum like the white ones I suppose.

Before the big eastern forests were felled, most of the gray squirrels were darker than today, and black ones were not uncommon. The darker coloration helped them hide from predators in the dim under story light.

[Indoor66]

I saw white squirrels in the Hickory area in the early 80's.

[Devilwin]

I saw white squirrels in the Hickory area in the early 80's.

Yes, there are records from there in that decade.Also as recently as 2009 in Newton/Conover area.

[fuse]

Probably the wrong thread for me.

As a non gun owner and non hunter, my opinion remains shoot ALL the squirrels.

[Indoor66]

Probably the wrong thread for me.

As a non gun owner and non hunter, my opinion remains shoot ALL the squirrels.

This thread is not about spouses! 😂

[moonpie23]

Black squirrels on Princeton's campus were solid black...

[-jk]

We have solid black squirrels in MoCo, MD, too. Apparently they were Canadian ones that escaped the National Zoo and have been working their way up and out of the Rock Creek Park (which abuts our town) for decades.

Lots of grey ones, but no white ones...

-jk

[Indoor66]

I used to play in a golf tourney in Tallahassee, FL and we would be walking down the fairway and a Fox Squirrel would fall out of a pine tree and make a loud thump hitting the ground. They would lay there for a moment, get up, shake themselves off and run back up the tree. They were big!

They are native to the eastern US but I have not seen them outside of the extreme southeast. Maybe others have?

[Devilwin]

I used to play in a golf tourney in Tallahassee, FL and we would be walking down the fairway and a Fox Squirrel would fall out of a pine tree and make a loud thump hitting the ground. They would lay there for a moment, get up, shake themselves off and run back up the tree. They were big!

They are native to the eastern US but I have not seen them outside of the extreme southeast. Maybe others have?

In NC, the southeastern fox squirrel is found from the around the little town of Candor to the coast. Nearly twice the size of the gray squirrel, they can be tawny gray or black, but always with a white mask.
The midwestern fox squirrel is found in our northwestern mountains, and apparently extendeding their range south, as I have seen a couple in King on my route. They are tawny gray with orange/brown underparts. Although not quite as large as the southeastern fox squirrel, they are still larger than the gray squirrel.

[aimo]

Probably the wrong thread for me.

As a non gun owner and non hunter, my opinion remains shoot ALL the squirrels.

Amen!

[left_hook_lacey]

I have seen squirrels on a couple of different golf courses in Myrtle Beach there were almost all black. They were so used to people they would walk up to the golf cart and sniff around the car or the golf bags looking for snacks. You really couldn't scare them off. They would take food right out of your hand. I never fed them, because they're rodents. But my better half thought it was the highlight of the trip.

I have some pictures somewhere. I'll see if I can dig them up.

[Devilwin]

I have seen squirrels on a couple of different golf courses in Myrtle Beach there were almost all black. They were so used to people they would walk up to the golf cart and sniff around the car or the golf bags looking for snacks. You really couldn't scare them off. They would take food right out of your hand. I never fed them, because they're rodents. But my better half thought it was the highlight of the trip.

I have some pictures somewhere. I'll see if I can dig them up.

Those are black phase southeastern fox squirrels. I've seen them there too. I saw a gray phase southeastern fox squirrel in Denton, which is the closest I have seen them to the Triad. But once you hit the coastal plain southeast of Troy, they are everywhere, but mainly in longleaf pine forests. Both black and gray fox squirrels can be found in the same litter. A good place to see fox squirrels is the area between Candor and Pinehurst. In Pinehurst, they are often seen around the golf courses.

[left_hook_lacey]

Those are black phase southeastern fox squirrels. I've seen them there too. I saw a gray phase southeastern fox squirrel in Denton, which is the closest I have seen them to the Triad. But once you hit the coastal plain southeast of Troy, they are everywhere, but mainly in longleaf pine forests. Both black and gray fox squirrels can be found in the same litter. A good place to see fox squirrels is the area between Candor and Pinehurst. In Pinehurst, they are often seen around the golf courses.

I think we have a resident "squirrel whisperer".

[sagegrouse]

We have solid black squirrels in MoCo, MD, too. Apparently they were Canadian ones that escaped the National Zoo and have been working their way up and out of the Rock Creek Park (which abuts our town) for decades.

Lots of grey ones, but no white ones...

-jk

The story I heard (probably read in WaPo) is that the gray squirrel population in DC was declining 80-100 years ago, probably due to hunting pressure. Yep, there was a time when anything that moved in the woods was fair game.

Some local entity went to northern Ontario to import "gray" squirrels, which ended up being the black color morph. I assume they were live-trapped, just like I did in Bethesda when the squirrels were overwhelming my bird feeders. The black color morph seems to have an evolutionary advantage, as its population has steadily grown. Interestingly -- biologists, please weigh in -- the interbreeding of the black and gray variants of gray squirrels doesn't produce gray-black squirrels -- the color morphs remain distinct.

[DukieInKansas]

Probably the wrong thread for me.

As a non gun owner and non hunter, my opinion remains shoot ALL the squirrels.

My brother-in-law tries to teach them to swim. Even built a natatorium for that purpose. Either he is a lousy instructor or squirrels are very poor learners. Either way, it helps keep them away from his tomatoes.

[Devilwin]

The story I heard (probably read in WaPo) is that the gray squirrel population in DC was declining 80-100 years ago, probably due to hunting pressure. Yep, there was a time when anything that moved in the woods was fair game.

Some local entity went to northern Ontario to import "gray" squirrels, which ended up being the black color morph. I assume they were live-trapped, just like I did in Bethesda when the squirrels were overwhelming my bird feeders. The black color morph seems to have an evolutionary advantage, as its population has steadily grown. Interestingly -- biologists, please weigh in -- the interbreeding of the black and gray variants of gray squirrels doesn't produce gray-black squirrels -- the color morphs remain distinct.

Except that many of the white squirrels in Brevard can show gray patches. I saw a fox squirrel family on Currie Road in Candor. They resided in one of my customers pine lots beside their home. The mother was a tawny gray, but two of her four offspring were black. All, however, had the distinct white mask, an earmark of southeastern fox squirrels.
No, not a squirrel whisperer, lol. Just know quite a bit about wildlife. I teach classes for High Point Parks and Recreation on indigenous species of NC.
Also worked at the NC Zoo for a couple of years..

[PackMan97]

Except that many of the white squirrels in Brevard can show gray patches. I saw a fox squirrel family on Currie Road in Candor. They resided in one of my customers pine lots beside their home. The mother was a tawny gray, but two of her four offspring were black. All, however, had the distinct white mask, an earmark of southeastern fox squirrels.
No, not a squirrel whisperer, lol. Just know quite a bit about wildlife. I teach classes for High Point Parks and Recreation on indigenous species of NC.
Also worked at the NC Zoo for a couple of years..

Have they caught those Secretary Birds or Red Fox cubs that escaped from the zoo?

[left_hook_lacey]

My brother-in-law tries to teach them to swim. Even built a natatorium for that purpose. Either he is a lousy instructor or squirrels are very poor learners. Either way, it helps keep them away from his tomatoes.

Why teach them to swim when they can just ski?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdmuVQAQSrY