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Anyone in MA have black squirrels yet?

21 years ago

I have both red and gray squirrels but no black ones. I have seen them in Canada many times but heard they are now in New England. Anyone have them showing up at their house?

Comments (53)

  • 21 years ago

    I believe there have been black squirrels in Acton for years. I grew up there, in fact. I also know that Westfield State College has black squirrels all over the campus.

  • 21 years ago

    Hi Sully, RI here/ and we have just the grey squirrels. Would love to see a black one, or even a chipmunk.

  • 21 years ago

    I guess it is a regional thing. We have only black-coloured (grey) squirrels. I'll have to look to see if I can find a grey one!

  • 21 years ago

    There's a few in Leonia, NJ; it really freaked me out the first time that I saw them ;) I've seen a few in different locations in the town.

  • 21 years ago

    We've had black squirrels in the DC area for 20 years now. I thought they were offspring of escapees from the National Zoo . . . , if they're truly mutants of the local species, then I've noticed they are getting more brownish/red from a mixed bloodline of other grey squirrels. I've seen a few albino squirrels downtown DC and they're quite a treat. Anyone in need of grey squirrels, send me postage and I'll send you a dozen. They keep eating my green apples and I've yet to taste a ripe one since they're eaten/dropped on the ground before September harvest.

  • 21 years ago

    I saw my first (and only) black squirrel in McKinney Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas. I'd understood they came from the midwest. Currently living in Denver suburbs, and have never seen one here.

  • 20 years ago

    We have seen black squirrels in Milford, Ma and everyone thought we were "nuts", hahaha....

  • 20 years ago

    Where I grew up there were black squirrels - this is in the Poconos of Pennsylvania near a little town called Conyngham. The folklore around these were that the Butlers (the county is named after them) brought a pair over from Europe so that they would not miss them.

    We would see one occasionally pop up in the normal population.

  • 20 years ago

    Got lots of them out here in the woods in West Michigan.
    Lisa

  • 20 years ago

    63 yrs living in rural and urban areas around Wisconsin, and I saw my first black squirrel at a family reunion this year. Many of them, in fact. All lived on the north end of Lake Winnebago in the Menasha/Appleton area. So far, havent seen any in the SE area (Milwaukee area) where I live. Pondy

  • 20 years ago

    They've been in Westfield, MA, for years. I've also seen a few in Longmeadow. I love the black squirrels and wish I could bag a few & bring them to our yard.

  • 20 years ago

    We've seen a black squirrel in our back yard in Northwest San Antonio this month. All others have been fox squirrels.

  • 20 years ago

    Years ago we had grey squirrels with white tipped ears Very interesting but I do not suppose that unusual. Steve in Baltimore

  • 18 years ago

    I just saw a black squirrel today 4/27/08 in my backyard. I live in Kenosha, WI. I have done some research and it looks like the black squirrel has been seen in the northern and central part of the state but not in the southeastern part of the state. Is this a first?

  • 18 years ago

    we get them locally here in western MA! :)

  • 15 years ago

    a solo fellow showed up in the city park behind our house this fall - he can be seen on my flickr photo site

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/30420605@N06/

    ben w

  • 15 years ago

    I saw a sleek shiny totally black squirrel on Nov 4, 2010 near the San Jose, California airport! What a surprise. Tried to get a quick photo but it ran off the second I moved.
    Min

  • 15 years ago

    I just saw one in Maynard, MA!

  • 15 years ago

    I just saw a black one with a grey one in Bourne MA...so glad I got a picture!

  • 15 years ago

    We have one in my Mom's back yard in Malden. He's been here for a few years. I've only seen the one and I did get some pictures of him/her.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Black squirrel

  • 15 years ago

    I saw a black squirrel in Newton Massachusetts 5/27/11. It scampered up a tree with a grey one right behind! Too bad I couldn't get my camera out quick enough!

  • 15 years ago

    There are a few in Stoneham and also in Charlestown

  • 15 years ago

    There was a Black Squirrel sighting in North Reading Massachusetts today. He looked like a large rat at first, but as I got closer, sure enough he was a squirrel. Little guy with very good jumping ability.

  • 14 years ago

    Yes!! Saw one yesterday in public garden. I've lived in the city for almost 10 years. I was amazed by it! Very cool looking and kind of hopping around strangely. I took a picture!!

  • 14 years ago

    i have one in my backyard in medford ma

  • 14 years ago

    I've seen black squirrels in the Ball Square neighborhood of Somerville, MA for the first time this year, starting around September. I'm not sure if there are several or just one. But I got a few pics of a really fat, well-fed black squirrel this afternoon in my backyard.

  • 14 years ago

    We saw our first black squirrel in our back yard yesterday.

  • 14 years ago

    Greetings,

    My wife and I spotted a black squirrel at our home today in North Andover. I'm familiar with them in DC but have never seen them around these parts before.

  • 14 years ago

    There are some great videos on YouTube of black squirrels. I would love to see one live, but I think it will be a while before they make their way to GA. I have a friend who lives near Philadelphia who has had both albino and black squirrels get tame enough to come to him for peanuts in his back yard. Not at the same time. That would be a rush. If I can figure out how to post this, here's a link to a black squirrel video:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Black Squirrel Video

  • 12 years ago

    I saw a black squirrel today in stoneham, Ma at 91 Montvale Ave.. I have never seen one before and was quite surprised.

  • 12 years ago

    We have seen a black squirrel in our backyard for about a month now at Lowther Road Framingham, Ma.

  • 12 years ago

    Just saw a black squirrel for the first time in Sudbury, MA!

  • 12 years ago

    Many years ago I was visiting my uncle near Chicago and was stunned to see that the squirrels in his yard were black! Coming from Massachusetts, I had never seen anything but gray squirrels. This month, I'm reporting repeated sitings of a black squirrel in my yard near the harbor in Plymouth MA. Still plenty of gray squirrels... but at least one shinny black squirrel among them. Thanks to this list for verification of other sightings. It's always surprising to find growing numbers of fauna not usually experienced in New England. How about the number of possum or turkey vultures (or turkeys?)

  • 12 years ago

    Not in my area, but there is a small colony living in Boston near the Waterfront/Convention Center area and I understand UMass Amherst has them.

  • 12 years ago

    I may be posting this for a second time (I don't see my first post). I have seen a black squirrel on Beach St in Woburn going into the Woodbrook Cemetery. I've either seen the same one twice or there are 2 in the neighborhood there.

  • 12 years ago

    Yes! In the last few weeks we've observed a black squirrel at our bird feeders. We live in Dalton, in western MA (zone 5b). 8/21/2014

  • 11 years ago

    This year we have seen a black squirrel in our yard in Monument Beach, MA. I saw it in the spring, but it disappeared. We saw it this morning, and it spent some time at our bird feeders.

  • 10 years ago

    I've seen a black squirrel in the neighborhood but this morning I had one at the bird feeder in my yard in Stow, MA. Still mostly greys around and of course red squirrels too - the black sighting seems rare to me. Never saw a black one where I grew up in Braintree, MA but remember them from visiting an uncle in Toronto Canada in the early 90s. Interesting genetics!!

  • 10 years ago

    We have a black squirrel in our yard and at our feeders regularly on Cape Cod. I have heard of a large number of black squirrels in a village down the road, but I have only seen one at a time in our yard. It is a little smaller than the greys. I am waiting to see if it breeds locally and we get some more. I don't know how many seasons it will require for more black offspring to show up. It may have bred already this season. I think it was born nearby as I remember one racing around the yard (and under the house) with a group of young greys early last year. The new youngsters tend to come out to the feeders in the spring and play and chase. They are so energetic when they are little and fun to watch. I've never seen a red squirrel.

  • 10 years ago

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    There have been several colonies in Cambridgeshire (UK) for the past decade - they outnumber greys in some areas...and they are on the increase since the gene for the blacl colouration is more dominant than grey...so we will be seeing the same changes as when our native reds were out-competed by the American greys...only at a slightly slower rate...although there is evidence which shows that grey females prefer black males as mates.

  • 9 years ago

    Just saw my first black squirrel collecting acorns from my oak tree in Methuen MA. Also saw a few white squirrels a couple years ago when I was in Boston not far from TD Garden.

  • 9 years ago

    Yes! I have seen two beautiful black squirrels in my new neighborhood in Cotuit, MA. (Cape Cod) They are stunning!

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes we have a couple in South Plymouth, Ma. They are not Grey Squirrels, that turned black, they are smaller than a Grey, and more slender. beautiful to see.

  • 9 years ago

    Yes, they are much more slender! I have two in my condo complex in Mashpee, right on the Cotuit line. So very cute! Trying to get a picture but they scamper around so fast, They are are very beautiful!

  • 9 years ago

    Yes. I live in Leeds, a village of Northampton, MA, In our yard I have seen grey squirrels, much smaller black squirrels, and tiny red squirrels. Three distinct body types. I had lived for years in the next town, Hatfield, and had never seen anything but grey squirrels there, but these were all here when I moved over here in 2012.

  • 9 years ago

    We had 2 in our yard, in Plymouth, Ma. Though we haven't seen them for a few months. I'm hoping that the Coyotes, didn't get them.


  • 8 years ago

    I saw a "black" Eastern Gray Squirrel in Mashpee last month. It was crossing Sandwich Rd right at the entrance to Ryder Conservation Land. Definitely an Eastern Gray Squirrel and definitely black! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_squirrel

  • 7 years ago

    I had never seen black squirrels before but I saw two when I was biking today, a live one in a tree in Walpole and a dead one on the road in north Bellingham.

  • 5 years ago

    I saw one for the first time today behind where I live. He was satin black. Never seen a black squirrel

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