Black squirrel
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Black squirrels are a melanistic phase of the eastern grey squirrel. They are common in Midwestern North America and, in some places, outnumber the grey squirrels by a ratio of about ten to one.[citation needed]
Great Lakes
Kent State University in Kent, OH has a significant black squirrel population, after 10 were legally imported from Canada in February of 1961. The black squirrels of Kent are larger than typical grey squirrels,[citation needed] often nearing the size of the fox squirrel and easily mistaken for small skunks. They have driven out native squirrels in many areas, though they peaceful coexist with most other rodent wildlife.[1]
This pattern of territorial domination has also been observed in Detroit, Michigan, where a teeming population of black squirrels has displaced all other varieties of tree squirrels in the Mt. Elliott Cemetery.
Likewise, in Toronto, Ontario, black squirrels are dominant and they can be viewed up close in Moss Park and many other downtown parks, where they are less shy.
Other Areas
Black squirrels can also be found in smaller numbers in Great Britain, where they were first introduced from North America at the end of the 19th century.[2]
Origin
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Several cities and towns in the United States, two in Canada, as well as a few in England boast to be the "Home of the Black Squirrels".
- Annapolis, Maryland[citation needed]
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Bellingham, Washington
- Brampton, England
- Clarinda, Iowa[citation needed]
- College Park, Maryland[citation needed]
- Council Bluffs, Iowa[citation needed]
- Frederick, Maryland [citation needed]
- Histon, England
- Hitchin, England
- Hobbs, New Mexico [citation needed]
- Kent, Ohio. Some businesses, organizations, and events in Kent are named for the black squirrel, including the Black Squirrel Festival[3], Black Squirrel Music[4], and Black Squirrel Books, an imprint of the Kent State University Press.[5] Kent State University has recognized the black squirrel as a symbol of the university.[6]
- Lake Grove, New York
- Letchworth, England[7]
- London, Ontario[1]
- Marysville, Kansas[2]
- Muncie, Indiana
- Palo Alto, California[3]
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Haverford, Pennsylvania
- Reedsburg, Wisconsin
- Redwood City, California
- Santa Cruz, California
- Stevenage, England
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Warsaw, Indiana[citation needed]
- Alexandria, Indiana
- Westfield, Massachusetts[citation needed]
- Westfield, Wisconsin
- Winchester, Virginia
- Catskill, New York
- Foxboro, Massachusetts
- Lexington, Massachusetts
- Michigan City, Indiana
- Bronx, New York (New York Botanical Garden)
- Davenport, Iowa St. Ambrose University
- Lake Odessa, Michigan
College mascot
Haverford College of Haverford, Pennsylvania's mascot is the black squirrel. The Black Squirrel is the name of a coffee shop at Sarah Lawrence College.[8] The black squirrel is also an unofficial mascot of Kent State University and Girton College, Cambridge.[9]
Gallery
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Black squirrel in Santa Clara, California -
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Black squirrel in Princeton, New Jersey -
Black Squirrel in Tarrytown, New York
References
- ^ A brief history of the black squirrel at Kent State University. Office of the Registrar. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
- ^ Forest Research - Black Squirrels. UK Forestry Commission. Retrieved on July 19 2008.
- ^ Kent, Ohio events at kentohio.net. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
- ^ Directory of music publishers at the Music Publishers' Association of the United States. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
- ^ Black Squirrel Books, Kent State University Press. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
- ^ A brief history of the black squirrel at Kent State University. Office of the Registrar. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
- ^ "Squirrel wars: reds, greys and blacks battle for supremacy". The Times. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ Sarah Lawrence College List of Student Spaces http://www.slc.edu/studentlife/student-handbook/Student_Spaces.php
- ^ 2006's Top Ten White & Black Squirrels' Hot Spots, at cryptomundo.com. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
External links
- Washington DC Black Squirrels
- Victoria-Park.com
- A brief history of the black squirrel at Kent State University
- Marysville Kansas Chamber of Commerce
- Stevenage, UK Squirrell - BBC News
- Netherlands, Breda - Pop rock band called the Black Squirrels
- Dailymail article about black squirrels in UK
- Attack by black squirrels in Russian town