Inspiration Through Creation: The Black Squirrel

Wherever you find trees you will also find a bushy tail critter known as the squirrel. Some are gray, some are black, some are red, and there are some that even fly. Some other animals that are in the squirrel family are: chipmunks, woodchucks, and prairie dogs.

It is in the early spring when you will see the trees inundated with squirrels. This is due in part because the buried nuts are beginning to sprout so they rely on the buds of trees for food. And my guess would also be that the food they stored for winter has pretty much been eaten by spring.

Though the squirrel is small in body size, they have large eyes with excellent vision. It makes you kind of wonder than why they choose to run out in the street when cars are driving by. Perhaps they find enjoyment in the game of dodge the tires.

One of the more unique of these critters is the black squirrel. I actually caught a glimpse of my first one just a couple of weeks ago. They are most common in the Midwest, the Northern states and in Ontario. So where do the black squirrels originate from? The gray mating pairs may produce black offspring and so obviously mixed litters are common.

Though the black squirrel is common, their overall rarity (1 in 10,000)has some small towns and colleges taking pride in their local population of these unique animals by holding festivals in their honor. The black squirrel can even be found as an official or unofficial mascot for some colleges.

1. Haverford College in Pennsylvania has the black squirrel as their official mascot for the athletic teams.

2. Kent State University in Ohio holds a black squirrel festival and uses the black squirrel as the imprint for the Kent State University Press.

3. Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester County, New York carries the black squirrel as their unofficial mascot and their bookstore sells plush squirrels.

So if you are bored and looking for something fun to do and your small town or neighborhood has a large population of black squirrels, you can celebrate these unique critters by holding a festival in their honor.

The black squirrel, truly unique, and certainly one of God's creation.