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Two Months of Searching Ends in Pic of Elusive White Squirrel
Morning Sun ^ | Feb 21, 2020 | Eric Baerren

Posted on 02/29/2020 8:55:29 PM PST by nickcarraway

It was shortly after the new year when Jim Holton, owner of Mountain Town Station, sent word of an unusual critter roaming around the grounds of his restaurants at 506 W. Broadway just west of downtown Mt. Pleasant.

He reported seeing a white squirrel.

A quick search of the grounds by Morning Sun staff turned up lots of snow and not much else during a chilly hour-long search.

It became a mild winter obsession. Reports were made of the animal on different parts of the ground: near the garbage receptacles in the back, behind Water Works Salon, 502 W. Broadway, delighting members of the Rotary Club who meet at the restaurant on Mondays.

Each report brought a new search. Each search turned up a lot of snow, but not a lot of white squirrel.

As spring loomed nearer in the schedule, taking away the squirrel's natural camouflage and making it easier prey for the hawks sometimes visible sailing above the city, the quest to snap a pic of this mysterious mammal pressed harder.

Word came Thursday that the squirrel was afoot. Another search was mounted.

Searchers first spotted Merlin, Holton's dog, sitting patiently next to the railroad tracks staring at something in a tree between the tracks and the river.

The something was at first a white blur, then a dot. The dot slowly took solid form as a white squirrel, which based on its chattering was clearly not happy with the presence of predators.

While the one predator sat beneath it, the other predator snapped a few pics and let it be. Word was sent later that the squirrel eventually managed to scamper off safely.

A copy of the photo was sent to the wildlife biology program at Michigan State University for full identification. A quick search of white squirrel fan sites on the Internet suggests that all-white examples of Eastern gray squirrels wouldn't be so uncommon if their color scheme was better suited for the entire year instead of just winter.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: michigan; photography; squirrels
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To: jmacusa

The kids call the black squirrels squiggers


41 posted on 03/01/2020 6:43:19 AM PST by ladyjane
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To: jmacusa

The kids call the black squirrels squiggers


42 posted on 03/01/2020 6:43:33 AM PST by ladyjane
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To: nuconvert

“I guess being white would shorten their lives.”

Maybe in Chicago. This one is just north of Charleston and Fort Sumter, SC.

rwood


43 posted on 03/01/2020 6:57:48 AM PST by Redwood71 (If they)
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To: ladyjane

LOL!


44 posted on 03/01/2020 10:25:27 AM PST by jmacusa (If we're all equal how is diversity our strength?)
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To: mewzilla

The white squirrels in Olney are everywhere, especially in the park! You won’t be disappointed.


45 posted on 03/01/2020 11:10:49 AM PST by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 32:12))
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To: nickcarraway

olney Illinois is know for it’s white squirrels...and I only thought it was known for the olney ewe..


46 posted on 03/01/2020 11:52:15 AM PST by camle (keep and open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: bigdaddy45

Saw one in Marietta Georgia about 8-10 years ago. Never seen one since.


47 posted on 03/01/2020 3:46:36 PM PST by greenishness
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To: bigdaddy45

They are so highly visible to predators (except in snow) that few probably reach maturity.


48 posted on 03/02/2020 8:21:16 AM PST by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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