Only a few short years ago, right here in Durham, I caught a glimpse of something I had never seen before: a black squirrel. Now at the risk of overselling what I still consider a complete marvel, the black squirrel gives me tremendous joy. When I first saw one, I had no reference for the cute, nimble creature because in almost forty years, I had never lucked upon one. I have since learned a few things about them. For instance, most Americans have never seen a black squirrel and their discrete numbers pop them into a ratio of 1 to 10,000 when stacked against the grey squirrel in North America. I also learned that they represent a subgroup of the grey and grey squirrels can produce black offspring.
But most fascinating to me was the genetic superiority of the black squirrel. Only brief observation was needed to realize the black squirrel was more than just super cute in his jet black coat. He is faster and more spry than all the other grey squirrels, and he is more aggressive about EVERYTHING in his world. I wasn't surprised to discover that in some parts of the world the black squirrel is rapidly overtaking the grey.
These days, my eyes are always ripe for a sighting and when one occurs, believe me when I say that I stop whatever I'm doing, alert anyone nearby and bask in the glory of my tiny black circus star. Even funnier, for the longest time I believed there could only be one living in the area. Now I know better.
