Black squirrel

Black squirrels are a melanistic subgroup 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.Fact|date=April 2008

Habitat

The black squirrels of Kent are larger than typical grey squirrels,Fact|date=August 2008 often nearing the size of the fox squirrel and easily mistaken for small skunks. Each year Kent State University holds a Black Squirrel Festival (located in the Risman Plaza during the second week of September) to honor the university's growing black squirrel population, and is one of the most popular events. It features live music, vendors and an overall tribute to the black squirrels seen throughout the campus. They have driven out native squirrels in many areas, though they peacefully coexist with most other rodent wildlife. [ [http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/SITE_NAVS/history.htm A brief history of the black squirrel at Kent State University] . Office of the Registrar. Retrieved 19 July 2008.]

Black squirrels also are found in the Michigan area, after W.K. Kellogg imported several to the area.Fact|date=September 2008

Black squirrels are also found in the Washington, DC area; where they were imported from Canada in the early 1900s. [cite news |first=Janet|last=Burkitt|title=Critter City|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100203233.html?hpid=moreheadlines|work=Washington Post|date=1008-10-05|page=N01|accessdate=2008-10-05 ]

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. [ [http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/fr/INFD-6HTK9B Forest Research - Black Squirrels] . UK Forestry Commission. Retrieved on July 19 2008.] They are also somewhat common in Westchester County, New York, as well as Washington, D.C..

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":

*Kent, Ohio. Some businesses, organizations, and events in Kent are named for the black squirrel, including the Black Squirrel Festival [ [http://www.kentohio.net/events/#squirrel Kent, Ohio events] at kentohio.net. Retrieved 27 March 2008.] , Black Squirrel Music [ [http://www.mpa.org/directories/music_publishers/show/533 Directory of music publishers] at the Music Publishers' Association of the United States. Retrieved 27 March 2008.] , and [http://upress.kent.edu/series/blacksquirrel.htm Black Squirrel Books] , an imprint of the Kent State University Press. [ [http://upress.kent.edu/series/blacksquirrel.htm Black Squirrel Books] , Kent State University Press. Retrieved 27 March 2008.] Kent State University has recognized the black squirrel as a symbol of the university. [ [http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/SITE_NAVS/history.htm A brief history of the black squirrel at Kent State University] . Office of the Registrar. Retrieved 27 March 2008.]
*Letchworth, England [cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3818628.ece|title=Squirrel wars: reds, greys and blacks battle for supremacy|publisher=The Times|accessdate=2008-04-26]
*London, Ontario [http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/squirrelsblack.html]
*Marysville, Kansas [http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Marysville/squirrel.html]
*Palo Alto, California [http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2003/sepoct/farm/news/lore.html]
*Hobbs, New Mexico [http://www.roadsideamerica.com/set/squirrelsblack.html]

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. [Sarah Lawrence College List of Student Spaces http://www.slc.edu/studentlife/student-handbook/Student_Spaces.php] The black squirrel is also an unofficial mascot of Kent State University and Girton College, Cambridge. Students at Manhattanville College also identify with the squirrels, and there is a legend on campus about the feud between the schools native red tailed hawk population and the darker haired squirrels. [ [http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/2006-bw-squirrels/ 2006's Top Ten White & Black Squirrels' Hot Spots] , at cryptomundo.com. Retrieved 28 March 2008.]

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://upress.kent.edu/series/blacksquirrel.htm Black Squirrel Books] link to series page on publisher website
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/18/AR2005051802251.html Washington DC Black Squirrels]
* [http://www.registrars.kent.edu/home/SITE_NAVS/history.htm A brief history of the black squirrel at Kent State University]
* [http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Marysville/squirrel.html Marysville Kansas Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4360000/newsid_4367400/4367436.stm Stevenage, UK Squirrel - BBC News]
* [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=561946&in_page_id=1770 Dailymail article about black squirrels in UK]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4489792.stm Attack by black squirrels in Russian town]