snell@utzoo.UUCP (Richard Snell) (01/14/86)
The question is whether you have seen
1. A squirrel which is a black morph individual of the species commonly
known as grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
2. A squirrel which is a melanistic individual of the species commonly
known as fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) (there are a few such melanistic
skins in museum collections but not many)
3. A melanistic squirrel which is part of some species other than 1 or 2
such as Red Squirrels (= Chicories for those out west) (Tamiasciurus
hudsonicus) or any of the variations on the chipmunk theme.
Though #1 is most likely, could be #2 or even #3. Nonchalanting either
squirrel or bird identification is the fast way to miss good TICKS!
And TICKS, MEGATICKS and CMF's is what every birder really cares about :-).
--
Name: Richard Snell
Mail: Dept. Zoology, Univ. Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1
UUCP: {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!snell