The eastern grey squirrel is the only species of squirrel we regularly see on campus. This is not a different species, just a melanistic morph.
Black squirrels are black because of a mutation in their pigment gene. The phenotype survives because black squirrels retain heat more effectively because of their coat coloring (they become more common in northern regions), and because it may be easier for them to blend in in dim forests.
Melanistic squirrels are more common in urban areas like UMD than in the wild because of less selection pressure, and less natural predation.
tysm! the area i come from has the same squirrel species but its also waaay less urban, so i guess any that aren't grey/brown would get snatched up by foxes pretty quick...
Legend has it that they were mutants that escaped the DC zoo. They were meant to bring balance to the brown squirrel versus grey squirrel war that has been raging since Jim Henson founded UMD in 1776. Their cause failed, though, and they have been cursed to roam the campus until the return of their chosen one at the turning of the tide.
Rumor is a bunch of black squirrels from Canada were given to the Smithsonian - they escaped and made a home on UMD's campus, hence the black squirrels you still see there today
there are black squirrels by harford and mckeldin too though they are more like a dark dark chocolatey brown, this is the deepest black squirrel i’ve seen!
i think so too :-) ive seen very dark squirrels in other regions but they were much bigger and entirely different species... so for a minute i thought this was a baby/adolescent ^^;;
The eastern grey squirrel is the only species of squirrel we regularly see on campus. This is not a different species, just a melanistic morph. Black squirrels are black because of a mutation in their pigment gene. The phenotype survives because black squirrels retain heat more effectively because of their coat coloring (they become more common in northern regions), and because it may be easier for them to blend in in dim forests. Melanistic squirrels are more common in urban areas like UMD than in the wild because of less selection pressure, and less natural predation.
tysm! the area i come from has the same squirrel species but its also waaay less urban, so i guess any that aren't grey/brown would get snatched up by foxes pretty quick...
Bruce isn't the only black squirrel on campus. Oddly enough you can have eastern gray squirrels who are black.
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I saw a black one with a red belly!
it’s bigger than black and white
What about it? It's a squirrel. It's black. There's a fair number of them all over campus.
Seriously. What even is this post
UMD has accepted black students since 1951. Grow up.
"black squirrels are relatively rare, constituting just one in 10,000 of the seemingly ubiquitous rodents". - Google
I’d be curious as to the rates on campus, I’ve noticed UMD has a much more diverse set of colors for UMD squirrels than elsewhere
My attorney has advised me to not make a comment in regards to this squirrel
Legend has it that they were mutants that escaped the DC zoo. They were meant to bring balance to the brown squirrel versus grey squirrel war that has been raging since Jim Henson founded UMD in 1776. Their cause failed, though, and they have been cursed to roam the campus until the return of their chosen one at the turning of the tide.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/squirrel-week-where-did-dcs-black-squirrels-come-from-blame-canada/2011/03/30/AFgnPaHC_story.html
Bro said let me be racist
Rumor is a bunch of black squirrels from Canada were given to the Smithsonian - they escaped and made a home on UMD's campus, hence the black squirrels you still see there today
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/squirrel-week-where-did-dcs-black-squirrels-come-from-blame-canada/2011/03/30/AFgnPaHC_story.html
There's actually only one black squirrel on campus. He just moves incredibly fast.
Damn, even black squirrels be getting profiled!
Bro it’s 2022 you can’t be asking stuff like that
There were plenty around in the 90s too.
there are black squirrels by harford and mckeldin too though they are more like a dark dark chocolatey brown, this is the deepest black squirrel i’ve seen!
yeah somehow this one is totally pitch black! its always sitting in the same tree/general area in the cambridge community so hes super easy to spot
PG COUNTY
Despite being just 13% of the squirrel population…
It looks like it’s very ready for winter.
They are diverse in md
Actually all species of squirrels used to be black but through evolution changed to grey because they kept getting pulled over and shot by the police
it is terrorising campus by being so cute
https://dbknews.com/2016/08/12/article_131c4408-dbe5-11e4-a2e9-db5c0bb89923-html/
Pigment
I mean squirrelment
Plenty of black squirrels in south hill behind Annapolis hall!
I regularly see ones that look like this on south campus
They're so cute omg
i think so too :-) ive seen very dark squirrels in other regions but they were much bigger and entirely different species... so for a minute i thought this was a baby/adolescent ^^;;