The Legendary Black Squirrel

Many of you have seen lots of squirrels before. But have you ever seen a black squirrel? These little critters are kind of rare. As far as I know you have to live in the United States to ever see one. And even then you might never get a look.

You might even live within a mile or two of these little guys and you'd never know they exist. They live in small communities and never seem to venture far from them. So far I've found them in exactly two places. I know there are more, but that's my personal experience.

I'll tell you that these dark little squirrels seem so mysterious just from their appearance. It's just that I never imagined that black squirrels existed until what is now many years ago when I finally saw my first one. I was just so amazed and excited to see that dark little figure running around my new neighborhood so long ago.

These two pictures of this black squirrel are the best I've ever taken. I was able to get these because I took a trip to a far away island where the squirrels are so numerous that they lounge around on the grass right alongside the human visitors to this strange and squirrely place. This is not a joke. It really happened.

That place has all of the major types of squirrels I've seen. And they are not afraid of humans even a little. When the squirrels saw me get out of my truck several of them came running up to greet me. I thought it was kind of creepy so I got back in the truck.

I was still able to get many excellent squirrel pictures. But I insisted on keeping my distance. I just don't think wild animals should be that comfortable with humans. I don't think it's good for them. Maybe I'm mistaken. I guess dogs were wild at one time too. Now they're our best friends. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll all have our own pet squirrels. I'll talk to you later.

The Old Man Of The Forest

I'd like to introduce you to Freeman. Freeman appears to be a very old squirrel of the fox variety. I guess you could say that he's the old man of the forest. He still gets around pretty well for an old man, but the signs of his age are still there nonetheless.

If you take a very close look just above his eyes you can see that the hair is just a little more gray than other fox squirrels might be. The rest of his fur also seems to be tinged with a little gray. His face has a bit of a weathered look that you might also find in very old human males.

Here's a special episode of Rat TV that features Freeman the wise old squirrel. He may not get around as well as some of the youngsters, but you'd never know it, you young whippersnapper! Videos can sometimes give us a better insight into these animals of the forest, especially the standouts like Freeman.

Take a look right behind his ears there. That is a patch of gray fur that Freeman is sporting. Also look at the top of his back and all over his tail. You can see a touch of gray all over him. I wonder how old this guy really is.

Take a look at Freeman's bent ears. I've seen old men with ears that look just like that. Sometimes these guys seem grumpy, but they really aren't. Stop and listen to what they have to say some time. They know a lot more than you do. A squirrel like Freeman could tell you how everything works.

Oh wait, I think he sees me! Hey there little guy...

"Hey there, you kid! Get off my lawn! ...Ah, wait a minute. Did I ever tell you about the time me and my brother took on five, no six, yup six other squirrels? They got too close to our tree and started running their mouths. I knocked out every last one of them, and my brother threw them in the ditch. It was one of the best times..."

Good old Freeman. I could listen to his stories for hours, but right now it's time to go. I'll talk to you later.

"Hey, you youngsters! Wash your ears or potatoes will start to grow from them!"