The Black Cat Day caused SWMBO to have me post about the local population of Black Squirrels.

There are at least three Resident Black Squirrels in the neighborhood.
(based on the largest group sighted)

I was aware of the population of White Squirrels in Olney, Illinois.

I have seen numerous red squirrels and numerous gray squirrels,
but no pink pachyderms

For a very detailed discussion of squirrel colors check the following.

What’s Up With White Squirrels and Black Squirrels?

Bekeart

There is a population of leucistic white squirrels in Brevard, NC about 30 miles from our home in the western mountains. We have a couple of them here that have survived and been around for years. It’s always a treat to see them and point them out to visitors.
Regards,

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turnerriver

I started squirrel hunting with my dad when I was about 5 years old and I've seen a lot of black squirrels in southern Arkansas near the Louisiana border. All the ones I've taken were fox squirrel variants.

I once saw sign of squirrels eating out of a large pecan tree at a old abandoned farm place so I set up the next day before daylight with my .22 Browning BL-22. Shortly after daylight the squirrels made their way to the pecan tree and of the dozen or so they were all black except one red fox squirrel. I could have easily taken half a dozen but I decided to get just one so I could take it back and show everyone. For years afterwards I'd see black squirrels in that area while deer hunting.

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- Change it back -

I see one or two occasionally in my neighborhood but:

There are many places in the northwest suburbs of Chicago where you can see black squirrels, including:
Des Plaines: Some say there is a stable population of black squirrels in Des Plaines
Evanston to Zion: Some say the area from Evanston north to Zion is where you're most likely to see a black squirrel
Near West Chicago: Some say black squirrels are spreading into the Near West Chicago neighborhoods
The Loop: Some say black squirrels are spreading into the Loop
Almanac: Black Squirrels - Amherst Indy
Black squirrels, also known as black morphs, are a rare "melanistic form" of the gray squirrel. They are unusual in Chicago and stand out in the population of gray squirrels.
Black squirrels can also be found in other parts of Illinois, including Fisher and Gibson City.
Black squirrels are also the mascot of Marysville, Kansas, where about one-fifth of the squirrel population is black.

This info attributed to an article in the Chicago Sun Times and Tribune

The black rock squirrel in the Texas Hill Country make great gravy.

I've never seen any near where I live but I have seen them in Gadsden,Ala. and along the Mississippi River north of Vicksburg. I saw a white squirrel in a river bottom near State Line, Ms. while hunting years ago. I did not shoot it because I figured it was going to have a hard time surviving anyway. We have mostly gray squirrels with an occasional fat Red Fox Squirrel. When it cools off a little I'll be warming up the squirrel skillet again.

Never shot a Black Squirrel,
But unfortunately I did shoot a three legged squirrel.
Took a lot of Flak over that!
It did appear that he was born that way.
But even it that was true, it really didn’t matter,
Cause I shot a three legged squirrel!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I’ve never seen a white or black one down here in the burbs,but there are loads of fox squirrels around. Up around 7-8000’ you’ll see Aberts squirrels,they’re small and black with tassels atop there ears. Shot one when I was young. Not enough meat on them for the effort and I think they’re protected?

I used to see a number of them in the Tallahassee River bottoms while hunting in my younger days. They've pretty much logged all that area so I doubt there are any left.

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Live long and prosper

The neighborhood where I live in Charleston WV is about a quarter-mile from the State Capitol campus, where the lawn and the trees there are like an old-growth forest with huge nut trees everywhere. The surrounding neighborhood is very similar. Thus a lot of squirrels - grey, brown, red, and black. They seem to separate into different color groups on the corners of the campus, but recently I've seen blacks with grey or red tails, reds with black tails, greys with black tails and ears. Even a few blacks with white undersides. Quite a variety.

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Heavily armed old man.

I had to look this up to make sure I was remembering things correctly. Many years ago I went on a visit to Kent State University in Ohio. Whoever met us there told us about the black squirrels that were all around on campus. Now there is actually a Black Squirrel Festival that is held there.

Just looked out my front door and a black squirrel was burying an acorn in the flower bed. He (she?) then ran across the street and buried one in the neighbor's yard. Cute, healthy looking, fat, well-furred, ready for winter.

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Heavily armed old man.

In the small town of Afton, MN on the St Croix River, just east of St Paul we have had grey squirrels forever. In recent years very aggressive small red squirrels have moved in to challenge the grey squirrels for the droppings under our bird feeders. Then, starting last year the black squirrels arrived. They are larger than the reds and slightly smaller than the greys but with bushy tails like the greys. What’s going on with these critters? At our permanent residence in the PNW there are only grey squirrels.

There is a population of melanistic Abert's squirrels up in the Sandias behind where you live. Go get 'em!

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How God has blessed us!

Growing up in SE Michigan all we saw were tan/brown squirrels. Occasionally up north we would see a grey one but not often.
Now there are no brown ones, a few grey and the rest are black here in the same area.
Tree rats is what we call them.

Our dobermans use them as toys, they catch them shake them like a toy and leave them by the back door for us to dispose of.

In central Texas black squirrels live in the rocks. Some are all black some are black on the front half or the back half.

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6/23/2022

They are common enough to not be that special around here.. and across the Missouri River in Iowa (Council Bluffs) the city uses the black squirrel as the mascot... they have statues all over too... they are just a color variation of the red fox squirrels.. but kinda cute

It's mostly gray squirrels here in Pennsylvania but there are small pockets of black squirrels in some small towns that I have seen .
They're not very common here though.

We live northeast of San Antonio and there is black squirrels all over the neighborhood now. Were also have the grey squirrels.
We have lived in the same place for 20 years and don't remember seeing them when we moved in.
So do these critters migrate? I can't tell you how they taste, wife won't allopw plinking in the backyard. Then she gripes because the squirrels are eating her tomatoes in the garden!!

My sister lives in Baton Rouge . They had two white squirrels that would raid her bird feeders . After two years they disappeared .
I was Deer hunting in the Cat Island swamp one morning and a black Squirrel ran out on a limb and raised hell at me for a few minutes . First and only time to see one .

I grew up in the southeast corner of the Adirondack Park in NY, and never saw a black squirrel until I was at Navy boot camp at Great Lakes, IL in 1982.

But in the last several years, I'm seeing them here in NY.

I have seen a few black squirrels at McDade Park in Scranton. I saw one white squirrel there once.

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BTDT, Got The T-Shirt

NY is funny. Around the Buffalo area it’s all gray. Go to Rochester and Syracuse and there’s loads of black squirrels. I noticed 2 of them this yr on my lease. First time. When I caught movement from corner of my eye I immediately thought it was a Marten/Fisher. We have a few of those nest raiders around

I have seen black squirrels in a few places around Arkansas. IMO they tend to be kind of a local thing where the genetics for black colors manifest. I have shot a couple to show around but other than that just let them go their way. Around here they are color variants of fox squirrels and for eating purposes they make good gravy if the spoon don't bend easy.
There is a reason the Native Americans used fox squirrel skin to make bowstrings

Do they taste different?
Asking for another forum member

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213th FBINA

Black squirrels are a mutant species and must be eliminated.

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Retired LE Instructor/Armorer

Red squirrels taste like strawberries.
Gray squirrels taste like pork.
Black squirrels taste like licorice.

And the snozberries taste like snozberries.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

"We are the music makers. And we are the dreamers of dreams!"

https://youtu.be/3pwvB4_Te8A?si=Fgug1swnDWS4HVmu

Pinehurst, NC has black squirrels all over the place. They’re pretty interesting looking.

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NRA Life Member

Black squirrels out number the gray's in Marshall Michigan, have seen numerous black squirrels with gray tails.

There were black and white squirrels in many towns on the Eastern Shote of Md. The only actual black squirrel I ever saw in the woods while hunting was a very large blavk Delmarva fox. Big darn thing the approx size of a medium cat...Endangered species...so I did not shoot it. I was hunting ducks in a woods that was mostly very large older trees. There was even an old American Chestnut that was stil alive and bearing nuts The darn wood ducks ate them. Those woodies liked those little woods ponds

There is a pretty large population of black color phase gray squirrels in the town of Milton, PA. I used to deliver auto parts to a small shop that always had them running around his yard. Only ever seen them around there.

Larry