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Black squirrels are a melanistic subgroup of squirrels with black coloration on their fur. The phenomenon occurs with several species of squirrels, although it is most frequent with the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the fox squirrel (Sciurus niger).
For example, most of the black squirrels seen in the U.S. belong to the species Sciurus carolinensis, the Eastern gray squirrel. The other species is Sciurus niger, the fox squirrel. Knowing what these squirrels are, it’s important to wonder what causes black squirrels to exist.
The fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel, [3] is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. Despite the differences in size and coloration, it is sometimes mistaken for American red squirrels or eastern gray squirrels in areas where the species co-exist .
Fox squirrels are closely related to gray squirrels and are considered to be the most variably colored tree squirrels in the world. In South Carolina, fox squirrels occur and are characterized as the gray, black , or brown color phase based on their predominate body color.
As a new study published in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology explains, squirrels sporting black coats owe their distinctive appearance to interbreeding between gray and fox squirrels,...
Fox squirrels are predominantly gray with a slight brown, yellow or red-orange tint with a rust-colored belly and a black outline on its tail. The fox squirrel is the largest native tree squirrel in North America reaching lengths of 18– to 29-inches plus a tail of eight to 13 inches in length.
In the Sandhills and Coastal Plain of North Carolina, they are grayish with various patches of black on the head and feet and white patches on the nose, paws and ear tips. Some animals are almost totally black with dark gray patches, and others are reddish or rust colored.
This species has an overall color that varies from black to brown with a black head, white ears, and a white snout (Florida Natural Areas Inventory 2001, Kantola 1992). Fox squirrels are known for their long bushy tails and their strong hind legs which enables them to leap far.
These black squirrels astonish many natives of Colorado at first sight. The black squirrel has a shiny furry black coat, which is quite mesmerizing for many people. Some people know them as “Black squirrels” and people of Colorado, who know the reality called them “Eastern Grey Squirrel”.
Contrary to common assumption, the black squirrel is not a distinct species. Instead, it is a melanistic subgroup of two closely related squirrel species: the Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the fox squirrel (Sciurus niger).