Why are all squirrels in Michigan the wrong color?

As the weather warms up and the world comes alive for summer, you may notice more and more squirrels appearing around Michigan. But have you noticed some of the more “unique” squirrel colors?

I know it’s pretty subjective to say something like “Why are all the squirrels in Michigan the wrong color”, but in my defense, I’ve visited and lived all over the country, and rarely have encountered squirrels of any color other than gray.

So, is there anything special about Michigan squirrels, or am I just noticing something that was obvious before moving here?

What’s wrong with red squirrels?

If you haven’t left Michigan, you might not find our fox-colored tree-loving friends strange, but red squirrels aren’t as common in most other states.

According to experts, Red squirrels typically live throughout the northern part of the United States as well as parts of Canada. They can sometimes be found as far south as the northern part of Appalachia.

Why do red squirrels generally stay in the northern part of the United States?

There is no specific answer to this question, but rather a wide combination of reasons why it may be. One of the main reasons is that red squirrels are generally big maple syrup lovers. Although it’s not the only thing they eat, they tend to try to stick close, hence their love of northern states where maples and pines tend to grow more frequently.

What’s wrong with black squirrels?

They aren’t technically their own breed of squirrel, but rather a variant of the much more common eastern gray squirrel. Black squirrels have traditionally adopted a darker coat to help them hide better in Michigan wildlife than their southern cousins.

And are there really white squirrels or is that a myth?

Albino squirrels are actually, very real. Although don’t expect to see them much due to the nature of their color, they tend to be quickly taken down by predators. However, there have been packs of white squirrels in the past that will live in heavily populated areas like cities or college campuses due to human activity scaring off the majority of their predators.

While it’s not nice to call squirrels “strange” in color, it’s also true if you visit the rest of the country and realize we’re one of the only states with a rainbow of colors. options when it comes to tree-loving rodents.