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Have you spotted any black squirrels?
20 Answers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11444893
///The first recorded sighting of a black squirrel was in 1912 on the outskirts of Letchworth. It's thought that, like grey squirrels, a handful of black-furred specimens were imported for a private zoo and then escaped or were released.
"People speculate that it was the Duke of Bedford who imported black squirrels, but I've been unable to confirm that - even with the help of the family's archivists," says Dr Thomas.///
That dastardly Duke of Bedford!
Any sightings?
Spare Ed
///The first recorded sighting of a black squirrel was in 1912 on the outskirts of Letchworth. It's thought that, like grey squirrels, a handful of black-furred specimens were imported for a private zoo and then escaped or were released.
"People speculate that it was the Duke of Bedford who imported black squirrels, but I've been unable to confirm that - even with the help of the family's archivists," says Dr Thomas.///
That dastardly Duke of Bedford!
Any sightings?
Spare Ed
Answers
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Funny you should say that Ed......
The other night I had the patio doors open and heard a noise in the garden. I thought it was the damn magpies who sit in one of the trees and bark. After about 15 minutes of this, I got fed up and went out to tell it to naff off. I walked outside to find one cat at the bottom of a tree, one cat half way up it and what looked like a black squirrel right at the top. It was exactly the same as a grey although almost black and a bit bigger. I dashed in to get my phone to take a shot and the thing obviously lauched over into next door's garden (I only know this because No 2 cat - ASBO was last seen heading in that direction). I phoned my wildlife mad friend and told him and he told me I was nuts. (No pun intended).
The other night I had the patio doors open and heard a noise in the garden. I thought it was the damn magpies who sit in one of the trees and bark. After about 15 minutes of this, I got fed up and went out to tell it to naff off. I walked outside to find one cat at the bottom of a tree, one cat half way up it and what looked like a black squirrel right at the top. It was exactly the same as a grey although almost black and a bit bigger. I dashed in to get my phone to take a shot and the thing obviously lauched over into next door's garden (I only know this because No 2 cat - ASBO was last seen heading in that direction). I phoned my wildlife mad friend and told him and he told me I was nuts. (No pun intended).
Yes, once.
I was at my brother's house, near Birmingham, where he had a wood burning stove.
It was summer, so the stove was completely cold.
There was a rumbling noise, than a crash.
A squirrel had fallen down the chimney, and landed inside the stove.
My brother immediately opened the door of the stove (even though I shouted not to).
The squirrel, having fallen 8 metres down a soot/tar-caked 6" chimney liner, was completely jet black.
It shot out, clearly terrified, at about 200 mph.
It ran round the living room like a thing possessed, climbing walls, curtains, sofa, chairs, etc, knocking over anything moveable (cups of coffee, glasses of wine, ornaments, etc) - whilst covering everything with a mixture of soot, tar, p1*s and 5h1t.
In less than a minute, the room was wrecked.
We managed to open a window, and the squirrel went out of it.
I was at my brother's house, near Birmingham, where he had a wood burning stove.
It was summer, so the stove was completely cold.
There was a rumbling noise, than a crash.
A squirrel had fallen down the chimney, and landed inside the stove.
My brother immediately opened the door of the stove (even though I shouted not to).
The squirrel, having fallen 8 metres down a soot/tar-caked 6" chimney liner, was completely jet black.
It shot out, clearly terrified, at about 200 mph.
It ran round the living room like a thing possessed, climbing walls, curtains, sofa, chairs, etc, knocking over anything moveable (cups of coffee, glasses of wine, ornaments, etc) - whilst covering everything with a mixture of soot, tar, p1*s and 5h1t.
In less than a minute, the room was wrecked.
We managed to open a window, and the squirrel went out of it.
Yes, seen them loads of times. Used to live in Letchworth. They are not deviations of the grey squirrel. And I believe it has now been proved that they are genetically the same as black squirrels found on the other side of the Atlantic. I can't remember where I read the article though.
The first pub in Letchworth (back in the 1970's!!) was called 'The Black Squirrel'. Letchworth was a dry town before that.
The first pub in Letchworth (back in the 1970's!!) was called 'The Black Squirrel'. Letchworth was a dry town before that.
Loads of them here
http://www.letchworth...en_city/norton_common
I used to walk to work every day over this common!
http://www.letchworth...en_city/norton_common
I used to walk to work every day over this common!
the Ed's BBC link says they're a genetic variation of the grey squirrel; but the same variation is seen in the USA and it's unlikely to have happened twice in two different places so they're likely to be related - ie someone's imported them from America (though I suppose it could be the other way and someone's exported them from the UK).
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