In a post on social media, several Haligonians were taken with what appeared to be a white-coloured red squirrel.
In a Reddit thread, several people were posting photos of the creature, saying the squirrel lives in Frog Pond Park and is quite photogenic (if bribed). The photos show Milk—what seemed to be the consensus name of the animal—on rocks, trees and nibbling on nuts.
It’s causing quite a stir in the region as many have never seen a white squirrel.
Paul Bentzen, a geneticist and professor in the department of biology at Dalhousie University, said Milk’s fur colour is not extremely rare, but he has never encountered one before.
After studying several photos of Milk on social media, Bentzen said he can confidently say there are two possible reasons, both genetic mutations, for why its fur is white.
“All animals, including humans, produce a pigment called melanin,” he told CityNews in an interview. “All mammals pretty much have this gene, but in red squirrels, it normally produces that reddish-brown colour.”
Milk could have a condition called albinism, which means it has two mutated copies of the gene that is responsible for making melanin. The gene can’t make the pigment, so the coat will appear white, Bentzen said.
“With albinos, critically, you tend to also get pink eyes because our eyes have pigment in them as well, and that pigment is there to protect us from bright light,” he explained.
This might be fine for animals in captivity, like a domestic bunny, but it can be difficult for wild creatures, causing them to be extremely prone to sunburn.
However, a more common and likely cause of Milk’s appearance is a condition called leucism, which is also a mutation, but it’s not linked to the gene making melanin.
“It is a gene that affects where it gets laid down in the body, so basically, in leukistic animals, the mutation is stopping the melanin from being deposited in the fur,” Bentzen said.
The key to telling the difference is looking at the eyes, which, with leucism, will not be red. The condition is considered less serious, the professor said, because the eyes are not as sensitive.
While Milk can seemingly live a normal life with its white fur, it can be a drawback.
Hope Swinimer, founder and director of Hope for Wildlife, said in an email that white squirrels can attract attention.
“Their colouring makes them more visible, which can increase their vulnerability to predators,” she said. “However, if they reach adulthood, it often means they’ve successfully adapted to their environment despite the odds.”
Bentzen noted that it is possible Milk had siblings, but it is unlikely they would also be white, because two copies of the mutated gene are required for the condition to occur.
“I’m thinking probably neither parent had the white colour, so they were each carrying only one copy of the gene, and what that tells a geneticist is that one in four of their babies would inherit two copies of the ‘white’ version of the gene,” he said.
The one in four number, of course, is just a probability, but with social media, it’s likely people would have heard of another white squirrel in Halifax, he said.
The creature in Frog Pond Park has become quite popular with Haligonians.
“‘Milk’ is certainly a memorable little squirrel,” Swinimer said.