White Squirrel

[Burnt Ash]

We have a snow white squirrel in our wood this winter. I first saw it several weeks ago, but then didn't see it for a while until just half-an-hour ago, when I went out with the dogs.

Albinism is quite common in mammals and birds, but I can't recall seeing an albino grey squirrel before. Apparently, they're not uncommon in North America and are even protected in some states, including Illinois. Olney (http://www.sirin.lib.il.us/docs/opl/docs/gov/squirrels.htm) (not the one in Buckinghamshire) is famous for them.

Burnt Ash

[jakunen]

Never seen one either, although I used to see an albino blackbird on the bird reserve for a while.

Any pics?

[tomtom]

natural selection.. the reason you don't see vary many is cos they don't last very long!

[jakunen]

natural selection.. the reason you don't see vary many is cos they don't last very long!
I knwo, just as an melanistic creature doesn't last long in polar/artic regions.

Except for penguins:?:

[Realgar]

I've seen a leucistic crow - beige in feathers and beak, that's the only wild colour mutant I've seen, one of the fishing guys once landed a nicely albino pike

take a peek at this:

http://www.kostich.com/white_alligator.htm

Can't see that thing doing too well at ambushes...

[jakunen]

I dunno, a nice muddy river...

Looking at the pic he looks a few years old so he's obviously managed ok. If the pic was taken in the wild that is...

Not heard on 'leucistic'. I only know Albinistic (no pigmenation), hemi-albinistic (sub-normal pigmentation), normal, hemi-melanistic (semi-dark pigmentation), and melanistic (black pigmentation). Which begs the question - what do you call a melanistic blackbird???

[match]

Courtesy of a Google Image search:

http://www.montesano.org/images/Albino%20Squirrel%20Feb%2001.j pg

Looks kinda funny to me... :)