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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 ).
Sep 24, 2023 · 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, 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 .
Mar 22, 2019 · Black squirrels are wicked cool creatures and may eventually be the primary type of squirrel that we see. The black fur on these squirrels is caused by a genetic variation in common grey and fox squirrels.
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.
Aug 16, 2019 · 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,...
Aug 26, 2023 · Black squirrels are a melanistic subgroup of North American squirrels, such as eastern grey and fox squirrels, distinguished by their black fur. The result of a variant pigment gene, black morphs of these species are believed to offer a thermal advantage in colder climates compared to their lighter-colored counterparts.
Aug 15, 2019 · Scientists theorize a black fox squirrel may have joined in on a mating chase involving gray squirrels and got busy with a female.
During the past decade, black fox squirrels have spread north and west into Omaha, and now occur to some extent in all areas where previously they were absent. They do not occur yet in Neale Woods.
Nov 22, 2019 · Back in the 1700s, a black fox squirrel from South Carolina was submitted to the father of modern taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus, to receive its official scientific binomial. Based on the dark color he dubbed the species niger.
