Black Squirrel vs. Brown Squirrel

[Dieseldog]

Funny squirrel story. While working on a car in my driveway a squirrel ran up and inspected my work. My friend an I joked that the animal was confused about his nuts. All of a sudden if on cue he stole a lugnut in his mouth and ran up the neighbors tree. . . . . . We never recovered the nut. I guess you had to be there.

[Jimaz]

I saw a couple of chipmunks today. I wish they were more tame.

[firstandten]

I have noticed that of the flattened squirrels I've seen in Hamtramck this month, none was black. Maybe they're spryer?

That is strange ! Its seems like the only road kill I see are the brown squirrels. Are the black ones smarter ???

[kathy2trips]

White ones? That's so cool! Black squirrels are relatively rare in overall numbers; only 1 squirrel in the 10,000 in the USA is black. It would be a great mascot for a high school; something rare and indigenous.

[GPCharles]

Let me see if I have this straight - the black squirrels are moving OUT of Grosse Pointe and INTO Detroit!

This reeks of squirrel block-busting...

[exdetroiter]

That is strange ! Its seems like the only road kill I see are the brown squirrels. Are the black ones smarter ???

I think the black squirrels are faster.

[agirlintheD]

We have too many black squirrels to track right now. I can't remember the last time I've seen a brown one. They've completely taken over my "autumn" display. Ate the corn from the stalks, gnawed away at the ghourds and have now taken to eating the pumpkins. Quick, little fellas, they are [[a little bolder too, I might add).

[Catman]

......In a book called Weird Michigan, I read that it was Kellogg who originally brought black squirrels to Michigan in the Battle Creek area to get rid of red squirrels. I guess they were being pests.

Growing up in Westland, I only saw red and brown squirrels. In 1979, I moved to Holland Michigan and saw an abundance of black squirrels and only black squirrels. Maybe Meijers [[the Grand Rapids-based supermarket) brought black squirrels with them to Detroit area when they started stores in the area in the 1980s.

[psubliminal]

I live in Westland, too [[Cherry Hill & Wayne Rd. area), and lately all I've seen in the front yard are black squirrels. I never noticed them until the last couple years.

[Baselinepunk]

We've been getting overrun by squirrels here in Ferndale. We used to have only red squirrels around when I first moved in 14 years ago. About 10 years ago we started seeing a black squirrel or two, then over the years the population exploded and have either displaced the orange squirrels, or have interbred with them.

These bastards are worse than rats. They are constantly getting into garbage cans by knocking them over, chewing through the plastic lid and by ever other means necessary. My neighbor bought a metal can and lid only to find a squirrel opening the lid off of the can the next day. He's taken to trapping and relocation because they tear up his flower garden so much. They're protected with a big fine if you kill'em [[possums, too). I quit seriously vegetable gardening two years ago because they would tear my stuff up -- wasn't worth it.

[kathy2trips]

Yes, Gistok! I remember hearing that story. I hadn't thought of that in years!

[jackie5275]

Growing up in Pontiac, I saw only brown & gray squirrels. I never saw a black one until my in-laws moved to St. Clair Shores. I saw & still see them by their house. I've been at my current location in west Dearborn about 8 yrs now and just started seeing black ones in the past month.

[xphillipjrx]

I remember as a kid seeing the black squirrels only on Belle Isle. Now my folks live in WB and black squirrels are there too. I don't know how old the Detroit Yes archives are, but I started a thread about this a few years ago. Same lively conversation!