By any local measure, the black squirrel is having a moment.<\/p>\n
Long associated with the city of Kent and celebrated as Kent State University\u2019s unofficial mascot, the black-furred variant of the eastern gray squirrel has quietly but steadily made inroads throughout Northeast Ohio. And thanks to a simple question sent to 3,100 subscribers to our \u201cFrom the Editor\u201d morning text messages, it\u2019s now clear just how widespread \u2014 and beloved \u2014 this mutation has become.<\/p>\n
The text \u2014 asking whether readers have spotted black squirrels where they live \u2014 drew more than 630 responses. (Sign up for free at www.joinsubtext.com\/chrisquinn<\/a>) <\/p>\n From Ashtabula to Avon Lake, Rocky River to Solon and Cleveland Heights, readers replied with anecdotes, sightings, and even speculation about why the squirrels seem to be multiplying and spreading.<\/p>\n Some shared nostalgic memories of their first sightings in Kent. Others marveled at how quickly the population seems to have grown in their neighborhoods, edging out the traditional gray or fox squirrels.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a KSU student in 1981 when I first saw a black squirrel,\u201d one person wrote. \u201cHaven\u2019t seen one in Willowick yet.\u201d<\/p>\n In Kent, the black squirrel is a minor celebrity. Kent State even hosts an annual festival and 5K race in its honor. That fandom dates back to a 1960s project dubbed \u201cOperation Black Squirrel,\u201d when a university groundskeeper worked with Canadian and U.S. authorities to import 10 black squirrels from Ontario in an attempt to reestablish them in Northeast Ohio.<\/p>\n It worked.<\/p>\n As one retired Kent State faculty member noted in their reply, \u201cThe story that black squirrels began their American habitation in Kent is consistent with what campus lore maintains. Reportedly they were brought to the U.S. from Canada by a biology professor and are enthusiastically celebrated on campus as a mascot.\u201d<\/p>\n The reader added that by about 2020, five years after retirement, black squirrels had reached Pepper Pike and became regulars in the yard. \u201cThey appear more athletic and active than gray squirrels and have a more aggressive temperament. I don\u2019t know if they drive out the more placid species, but I never see them co-located.\u201d<\/p>\n That observation came up repeatedly: not only were black squirrels more frequently spotted, but many suggested they appeared to be displacing their brown or gray counterparts.<\/p>\n One reader in Lakewood offered this theory: \u201cThere was a transition period of maybe five years, from brown squirrels to wild combinations of brown & black squirrels \u2014 all grey, just black tails, etc. The black squirrels eventually replaced the browns. No scientific proof, but it seemed like they were more aggressive or dominant \u2014 in mating at least.\u201d<\/p>\n Though black squirrels are not a separate species \u2014 they\u2019re a melanistic variant of the eastern gray or fox squirrel \u2014 their distinctive color gives them certain advantages. Some research suggests the darker coat retains heat better, which could make them better suited to Ohio\u2019s cold months. Others speculate that their color offers better camouflage in shaded forests, potentially reducing predator attacks.<\/p>\n Readers reported sightings in surprising places: the Edgewater neighborhood of Cleveland, where one respondent even spotted a black squirrel with a red tail; the Brecksville Reservation; Kamm\u2019s Corners; Avon; Moreland Hills; and even the park at Put-in-Bay.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have resident black squirrels in Kamm\u2019s Corner,\u201d one person wrote. Another added, \u201cI see black squirrels down in the Rocky River Reservation all the time!\u201d<\/p>\n In some cases, the readers have documented the population changes closely. \u201cWe have black squirrels in Lakewood now. It\u2019s been over 10 years,\u201d one person said. \u201cWe\u2019ve lost a lot of old trees, so there are fewer squirrels overall, but there was a period of transition \u2014 mixed colors, hybrids \u2014 and now the black ones dominate.\u201d<\/p>\n A few readers described what appear to be hybrids, or perhaps mutations in the other direction: \u201cI have to assume they\u2019ve been breeding with local squirrels because now we have oddly colored very dark brown squirrels.\u201d<\/p>\n Some were simply delighted at the chance to weigh in on something other than politics or tragedy. \u201cThanks for writing about different topics. Asking about the black squirrels put a smile on my face,\u201d one reader said. \u201cSomething cheerful and fun to talk about.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, some areas remain free of the black-furred visitors \u2014 at least for now. \u201cNo black squirrels in north Mentor but I\u2019ve seen them in Chardon. They\u2019re coming up Route 44.\u201d<\/p>\n One person noted that Auburn Township in Geauga County has long hosted a mix: \u201cWe\u2019ve consistently seen brown, gray and black squirrels every year. My sense is that we\u2019ve seen more black squirrels in the past several years.\u201d<\/p>\n So what accounts for this expansion? There is no conclusive answer. Wildlife experts suggest a combination of genetic mutation and environmental changes. Squirrel migration is minimal, so the increase is more likely due to local mutations gaining dominance.<\/p>\n Others point to habitat. As Ohio\u2019s forests recover and mature, their increasing canopy provides the kind of shade in which the black squirrel\u2019s dark coat offers camouflage. <\/p>\n Even as the true answer remains elusive, it\u2019s clear that Northeast Ohioans have embraced their bushy-tailed neighbors \u2014 and many are curious to know just how far they\u2019ll go next.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the list of cities and townships where people reported seeing black squirrels:<\/p>\n AshlandAuroraAustintownAvon LakeBay VillageBeachwoodBereaBrecksvilleBroadview HeightsBrook ParkBurtonCanal FultonCantonChagrin FallsChardonChesterlandCleveland HeightsConcordCopleyCortlandCuyahoga FallsDaytonEast ClevelandEastlakeFairview ParkGates MillsGreenHighlandHinckleyHudsonHuronIndependenceJeffersonKentKirtlandLakewoodLyndhurstMacedoniaMansfieldMaple HeightsMayfieldMayfield HeightsMayfield VillageMedinaMentorMiddleburg HeightsMoreland HillsNewburyNorth OlmstedNorth RidgevilleNorth RoyaltonNoveltyOberlinOlmsted FallsOrange VillageParmaParma HeightsPeninsulaPepper PikePolandRavennaRichfieldRocky RiverSagamore HillsSeven HillsShaker HeightsSheffield VillageSolonSouth RussellSpringfieldStrongsvilleTwinsburgUniversity CircleValley ViewVermilionWaite HillWestlakeWickliffeWilloughby HillsWooster Chester Township\u00a0Hambden Township Medina Township Munson Township Newbury Township Parkman Township Perry Township Russell Township<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By any local measure, the black squirrel is having a moment. 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