Black Squirrel

Habitat:

The black squirrel is a melanistic subgroup of the Eastern Grey Squirrel. They are common in the Midwestern United States, Ontario, Quebec, parts of the Northeastern United States and Britain. As a melanistic of the Eastern Gray Squirrel, individual black squirrels can exist wherever grey squirrels live. Grey mating pairs may produce black offspring, and in areas with high concentrations of black squirrels, mixed litters are common.[1] The black subgroup seems to have been dominant throughout North America prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, since their dark colour helped them hide in virgin forests which tended to be very dense and shaded. As time passed, hunting and deforestation led to biological advantages for grey coloured individuals.[2] Today, the black subgroup is particularly abundant in the northern part of the Eastern Grey Squirrel's range.[3][4] This is likely due to the significantly increased cold tolerance of black individuals which lose less heat than greys.[5] Black individuals also enjoy concealment advantages in denser northern forests.[1]

Notes:

Black squirrel From Wikipedia about my area: Eighteen Canadian Black squirrels were introduced to the Washington, D.C. area when they were released at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park near the beginning of the 20th century during President Theodore Roosevelt's administration.[16] Since their introduction, the population of black squirrels in Washington, Northern Virginia, and the surrounding communities of Washington D.C. in Maryland have slowly but steadily increased, and black squirrels now account for up to 25% of some squirrel populations in the area. However, their population can swell to an estimated 40% to 50% in certain locations, such as the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral