In this week’s edition of Washingtoniana—our Thursday feature where we collect your questions about Washington and do some sleuthing to find the answers—we find out how black squirrels came to DC.
“Can you find out if there are black squirrels all over Northwest DC because a pack of rare black squirrels from Canada escaped from the National Zoo?”—Chris Billeter
The National Zoo received black squirrels from Ontario’s Department of Crown Lands in 1902 and 1906 and released 18 into the northwest corner of the park. At the time, zoo officials intended for the squirrels to be an attraction for visitors and didn’t realize they’d move into the city.
Since then, black squirrels have become part of Northwest DC’s squirrel population, which is slowly spreading to other regions in Washington. “When I moved to Bethesda in the 1970s, black squirrels were in our immediate neighborhood, but they were never seen outside the beltway,” says Richard Thorington, curator of mammals for the National Museum of Natural History. “Then, in the 1980s, people in Virginia said they were seeing them in their backyards.”
Thorington, who wrote a book titled Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide, says one of the reasons for the growing number of black squirrels is a gene that affects their pigmentation and makes them black. The zoo officials who had the original 18 black squirrels didn’t realize that this gene was dominant when they released them into the zoo.
Although the gene is dominant, the number of black squirrels in the overall squirrel population is never more than 25 percent for any one area. No one is sure why, though Thorington speculates that it has something to do with the black squirrels’ tendency to attract more predators: “Since black squirrels are more conspicuous than gray ones, they stand out more,” he says.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Washingtoniana: Black Squirrels in Washington
In this week’s edition of Washingtoniana—our Thursday feature where we collect your questions about Washington and do some sleuthing to find the answers—we find out how black squirrels came to DC.
Photo by Flickr user audreyjm529
“Can you find out if there are black squirrels all over Northwest DC because a pack of rare black squirrels from Canada escaped from the National Zoo?”—Chris Billeter
The National Zoo received black squirrels from Ontario’s Department of Crown Lands in 1902 and 1906 and released 18 into the northwest corner of the park. At the time, zoo officials intended for the squirrels to be an attraction for visitors and didn’t realize they’d move into the city.
Since then, black squirrels have become part of Northwest DC’s squirrel population, which is slowly spreading to other regions in Washington. “When I moved to Bethesda in the 1970s, black squirrels were in our immediate neighborhood, but they were never seen outside the beltway,” says Richard Thorington, curator of mammals for the National Museum of Natural History. “Then, in the 1980s, people in Virginia said they were seeing them in their backyards.”
Thorington, who wrote a book titled Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide, says one of the reasons for the growing number of black squirrels is a gene that affects their pigmentation and makes them black. The zoo officials who had the original 18 black squirrels didn’t realize that this gene was dominant when they released them into the zoo.
Although the gene is dominant, the number of black squirrels in the overall squirrel population is never more than 25 percent for any one area. No one is sure why, though Thorington speculates that it has something to do with the black squirrels’ tendency to attract more predators: “Since black squirrels are more conspicuous than gray ones, they stand out more,” he says.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Most Popular in News & Politics
DC Will Restart Parking Enforcement June 1
Stephen Gutowski Leaves Free Beacon to Start His Own Publication About Guns
DC Is Offering Free At-Home Covid Tests at Public Libraries
You Can Now Rent Picnic Boats at the Wharf
This Intriguing Series of Paintings Depicts the Capitol Fence
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
Videos from Washingtonian’s Wellness Day
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
More from News & Politics
These Are the Most Influential People in the DC-Area Weed Business
Free Joints for Vaxxed People in DC Today
Disgraced Journalist Mark Halperin Was Hired By the Bipartisan Policy Group No Labels.
Greater Greater Washington Names Chelsea Allinger Its New Executive Director
DC Officials Request National Guard in Preparation for Chauvin Verdict
DC Is Offering Free At-Home Covid Tests at Public Libraries
DC Will Restart Parking Enforcement June 1
This Intriguing Series of Paintings Depicts the Capitol Fence