Black wildlife

After years of observation, you don't figure to see too many things that are new in your gardens.  Then who shows up at your squirrel feeding station?  A black squirrel, more correctly a melanistic squirrel.  TPP doesn't know the genetics of melanism in squirrels, but no question this one is black.  More or less regular colored fox squirrel is shown for the contrast.  All are in training for the fattest squirrel competition. A few years back we had some pale squirrels around with white or nearly white bellies, but they did not persist in the population.