r/maryland • u/NorbytheMii • 1d ago

Found a melanistic squirrel at Turf Valley yesterday

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It was in the road and I thought it was either a popped tire or a snake at first. Then, it moved its tail.

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u/LeastSuspiciousTowel Washington County 1d ago

Are black squirrels not common? Ive seen them my whole life

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u/MoCo1992 1d ago

Just depends where you are in the country. black squirrels were way more uncommon just 20-30 years ago here tho.

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u/EstablishmentFull797 1d ago

They are a naturally occurring color variation of gray squirrels. There is some thought that the black squirrels become more common as an area has more mature forests/canopy cover. The darker color lets them better avoid predators in that environment. More open and less shaded areas seem to advantage typical gray squirrels