Posted on 04/24/2012 9:23:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
AUTHOR Eric C Bartholomew has photographed lots of animals – elephants, tigers, wild boar – but none were as tricky to capture as Thanet's albino squirrel.
The 67-year-old scribbler, of St Lawrence Chase, Ramsgate, spotted the white wonder in a park close to Ramsgate's Royal Esplanade on Monday, April 16.
Wildlife experts estimate that the odds of a pure white squirrel being born are one in 100,000.
Mr Bartholomew, a safari lover, chased the rare rodent around the park for 20 minutes before he got his shot at about 7am.
He said: "I was in the right place at the right time. It's not often you see them. You have to take your time. I had to hide behind a tree."
Mr Bartholomew's wife Mary added: "If someone had come around the corner they would seen him standing there and thought he was a stalker."
The couple, who have visited animal sanctuaries all over the world, often walk in the park behind St Lawrence Avenue.
Albino squirrels are distinguished from normal white squirrels by their pink eyes.
While white squirrels are rare, reports suggest they live together in colonies and from a colony can spring an albino squirrel. Thanet wildlife expert Dr Alasdair Bruce said a small group of them have been reported in Thanet Crematorium, in Margate.
He said: "Two or three have been seen hopping around.
"There seems to be a little pool of these white squirrels that pop out of the gene pool."
Dr Bruce said white squirrels do not survive long, as their colour make them an easy target for predators.
That would make it easier on old eyes, that's for sure.
I would encourage it to breed so that meals get easier as I get older.
/johnny
Holder’s people will not be pleased.
Lotsa squirrel stories all of a sudden.
Man I saw one about a month ago in Marietta, GA near Davis Dr. I did not have my camera with me. I thought about going back for a picture, this makes me want to. =)
There’s a town, Brevard I think is the name, in South Carolina that has a lot of them.
I like big fat red ones myself ....mmmm Tasty !
There are lots of white squirrels in the suburbs around my area. I don’t think they are albinos but just a very light light color variation that people set out extra food for so they end up breeding. You don’t see them in the real countryside where they are too easy to hunt and have more predators. Contrary to popular belief they can jump and dance nicely amongst the tree branches.
I still hate squirrels.
We’ve been getting a lot of black squirrels around here lately. Now, I am not racist but we just never had black squirrels before! We’ve always had your garden variety grey. Is there a reason for this?
My husband calls them rats with fuzzy tails. He calls Seagulls flying rats. He’s conservative. He just doesn’t like ‘Rats!
“We’ve been getting a lot of black squirrels around here lately.”
There goes the neighborhood.
Seen my first black squirrel the other day. Tried to get a pic but it was too fast for the Blackberry.
You are correct about Brevard; although it is in North Carolina. I have seen them on numerous occasions when driving around the town; even have a few pictures.
Olney, Illinois is “Home of the white squirrel”. Town is full of them.
Rare? We’ve got a whole bunch of them in our town.
We had one for several years
Rare? I’ll tell you about rare. Last winter I had a white Grackle on my snow covered driveway. It was one of about 20 or so and apparently not discriminated against
Marionville, Missouri. Home of the White Squirrel. And home of Cousin Earl. Another “white squirrel...”
We have several Families of them Here In Jackson County Ohio. They run the power lines all over town. I'll see if I can get some photos and post them.
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