BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 26, 2023
There’s a new king of the feeder this winter at the home of Sue and Gary Drinkwater in Northport. They have enjoyed watching the usual assortment of birds and gray squirrels, but they weren’t prepared for the arrival of one particular critter: a black squirrel. Shevenell Webb, furbearer biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, explained why this particular squirrel is different. “Melanism is a rare genetic condition that causes dark pigment of the skin, fur and feathers (yes, it occurs in birds too!),” Webb said. “In addition to gray squirrels, it has been documented in woodchucks, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, red foxes, coyotes, garter snakes and various bird species in Maine.”