If you take squirrels for granted -- or simply regard them as backyard pests -- here’s a critter that just might change your mind.
A piebald squirrel has been spotted in Alabama at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, near the southwest tip of the gardens off Cahaba Road. The gray squirrel, which has large white patches of fur, has been making itself at home in the area near the Asian Glade and Japanese Gardens. It’s also been seen running across Cahaba Road, to a wooded area near a back entrance to Birmingham Zoo.
Why does this matter? Piebald squirrels are far from commonplace, according to Wesley Anderson, an assistant professor at the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. He’s also a wildlife extension specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
“I’ve spent thousands and thousands and thousands of hours outside and never seen a piebald squirrel,” Anderson told AL.com. “It’s uncommon ... and a really cool thing.”
Piebald squirrels have a genetic condition that results in a lack of melanin, a natural pigment. The size, shape and position of the white markings will vary from squirrel to squirrel -- they don’t all look the same -- but they’re all piebalds.
“It’s something determined when they’re in embryo,” Anderson said. “It’s not unheard of, for sure, but it is pretty rare.”
On Nov. 10, several people strolling the trails at Birmingham Botanical Gardens experienced a piebald sighting. Laura Vines, a singer-songwriter and music teacher, captured the fast-moving critter with her camera. (See her photos of the squirrel in the gallery at the top of this post.)
Piebald squirrels have frequented the area off Cahaba Road for the past few years, nature lovers say. Some claim to have seen more than one near the gardens and zoo. Sightings have been reported in the morning and afternoon, so there appears to be no specific time that’s best for piebald-spotting.
A piebald squirrel’s light or white patches make it especially eye-catching and capable of producing a “Wow!” moment with spectators. But it’s a more visible target for predators such as hawks and owls, both of which have been spotted at the gardens.
“For squirrels, many other creatures want to eat them,” Anderson said. “The first year, only 15 to 25 percent of squirrels are going to survive. From then on, it’s 50 to 75 percent.”
Fast-moving cars are another danger to any squirrel that scampers across Cahaba Road. Still, the current piebald has managed to survive and thrive. (The squirrel looks healthy, Anderson said, after examining photos taken by Vines.)
Piebald squirrels aren’t albinos, which have a total lack of pigment in their coats, skin and eyes. Albino squirrels are completely white and have eyes that appear red or pink. Piebalds have gray, brown or red areas on their coats and eyes that are dark in color. (For more on this topic, see the White and Albino Squirrel Research Initiative on the Untamed Science website.)
Steve DeMedicis, a Mountain Brook resident, caught a startling glimpse of a piebald squirrel on the afternoon of Nov. 4, on his way to Mountain Brook Elementary School.
“I was driving down Cahaba Road, going to pick up my son after school,” DeMedicis said. “It was probably 2:45 and I saw the squirrel crossing the street. And I go, ‘What? What?’ By the time I got there, he had already crossed the street and was on the Botanical Gardens side. I whipped out my phone and got a little video of him. Then he scooted up a tree and was gone.” (See the video by DeMedicis below.)
DeMedicis said his daughter, who lives near Cahaba Road, also has seen a piebald squirrel in the area.
“I’ve never seen a squirrel like that, and I’ve seen squirrels all across the United States,” DeMedicis said. “It wasn’t an albino squirrel. It was a squirrel with white markings. It was a really bright white, like an electric white. I thought it would be really terrible if this squirrel got run over. And because he’s white, he can’t hide, so he’s vulnerable to a hawk or a snake.”
A piebald squirrel inspired oohs and aahs earlier this year when Colorado Parks and Wildlife posted several photographs of the fuzzy critter on Twitter. (The pictures were taken near Denver by Jerry Baines.)
Until now, however, Birmingham’s current piebald -- a “good-looking squirrel,” according to Anderson -- has been keeping a relatively low profile.
More on wildlife in Alabama:
"really" - Google News
November 16, 2021 at 07:00PM
https://ift.tt/3nlJ8pc
Piebald squirrel spotted in Alabama: ‘Uncommon and a really cool thing’ - AL.com
"really" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3b3YJ3H
https://ift.tt/35qAk7d
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Piebald squirrel spotted in Alabama: ‘Uncommon and a really cool thing’ - AL.com"
Post a Comment