• Wednesday-What'sUP May 30 - 01:10 am

Last week we were treated to photos of an albino deer in the Brimley area, today it's an albino squirrel in Lake Linden. The first photo was captured by Deb Simons, this past weekend. Mr. Deb and her were visiting her folks, Ben and June Durocher, when they spotted this unusual critter running across the backyard and were quick enough to grab the camera and get a good shot before it ran off. The next two photos are most likely the same little pale face squirrel and were taken by Vada Riederich, also in Lake Linden, on their backyard patio feeder. The Durocher's and the Riederich's live about six blocks apart, with the Calumet hill (or Lake Linden hill for you Calumet/Laurium folks) in between them. Of course I'm not certain it's the same little guy, but chances are it is and if so, he must be a crafty critter to be able to get across busy M-26 without getting run over. Look both ways Mr. Squirrel!

I had these pictures and notes all finished and ready for posting when an email arrived from Ashley Byykkonen and low and behold, she had captured a photo yesterday morning of an Albino squirrel in their backyard (It's the last photo here above). They live in Traprock Valley, nowhere near Vada or the Durocher's, so how unusual is that to have TWO albino squirrels in the Lake Linden area? And before somebody starts asking, YES, all three of the photographers confirmed the red eyes, characteristic of a true albino creature. Does anybody have statistics on the odds of these sightings so near to each other?

WOW! Three different sightings! That's amazing! He truly did have red eyes. He was so darn cute. After we got the photos made, everybody in the neighborhood had to have a look. Lake Linden sure does have a lot to offer in the forms of wildlife. There are deer out in my parent's yard all the time. Last year they saw a doe and THREE fawns. I thought that was amazing, and very rare. They tried and tried, but getting a picture of all 3 of them just never happened. One was always behind a tree. Thanks for putting our picture on the pasty page.

Wouldn't it be neat to introduce these squirrels and hope for a new tribe of "Snow Squirrels"? Is there a possibility there are three of them? And yes, I know Nature hasn't selected albinism as a survival characteristic, but it is fun to imagine! Perhaps a phase opposite the black ones more like ermine and varying hares or ptarmigan?

I know that science is against this observation, but in the snowy UP, wouldn't white fur actually aid in camoflage?

They don't need white fur...don't they hibernate? Although the snow does last a lot longer than their hibernation....

They don't hibernate.......

A Google search turned up many hits all over the country for true albino squirrels. Evidently not so rare.

Very cool, Deb and Mr. Deb. Never a dull moment on a trip home, hey!

That one in town maybe took the old RR overpass so he wouldn't get squished on the Calumet hill, and it is a very nice walk for him that way.

Great shot there Debs!!

Albinism would actually be a hindrance. Too showy, will stand out, easier for predators to spot them, especially owls.

But only a hindrance during those two weeks of Summer in the Copper Country.....

Yeah...and if summer fell on the fort' July, they could have a picnic, eh!

I once saw an albino squirrel in my backyard. I thought it was possesed with its red eyes and all so I took a few shots at it with my BB gun... Haven't seen it in a while, wonder what happened...

Well there are white black bears in the Pacfic Northwest also brown black bears...guess there coud be a strain of white squirrls. I did see some albino brook trout in a stream years ago.I guess mother trout had several...why not mother squirrl ?

Squirrels don't hibernate that is why they store food in their nests to last the winter. They do remain in their holes during very bad winter weather but will come out again on nice days.

Squirrels don't hibernate. They spend the winter in my
bird feeders. Ace sells a good spray to keep them
away so you don't have to shoot them.

Great shots to everyone! Very interesting topic this morning! I love checking this site out everyday you just never know what your going to get.

According to the good Dr. Nat, colour change and albino's are nothing new in nature. Wooly Mammoths were known to have black, brown, auburn, blonde, and even red hair. I'm not sure if any albino mammoths have been found, but it does beg the question..... did the blonde mammoths go extinct first?? (that's a Dr. Nat quote, not mine ;-)

Since we just got back home from Eagle River last night I was looking at the Pasty-Cam on This Day photos for the last few days and saw the picture of the Tractor-Train Show in Lake Linden from 2004. Does this show still take place?

Ha! Ha! Capt Paul...If I was still blonde I would be offended...but since I have morphed into a redhead I can laugh with you. (I was never really a blonde anyway...but don't tell anyone.)

Note of interest? The towns of Olney,Illinois, Marionville, Missouri, and Kenton, Tennessee call themselves the "Home of White Squirrels."

There used to be a couple of albino squirrels around the Tech campus. It's amazing that they can live to adulthood with that coloring, it makes them am easy target for their natural predators, not to mention humans with guns.

Harvest Days at the houghton county historical society will be sept 13 and 14 (with tractor and engine show)

with 9 months of winter white may be a better color nice pictures i remain walter p.

Deb, if I'da known you were going "home", I'da ridden along !!!

We said something on pasty about it. You should read it more often. You could have parked and ridden. With the price of gas, we don't go "home" very often.

Last week or so there was discussion here on Leucistic animals (partial Albino) I was going to post this pic we got of a Leucistic Cottontail out our back window in April but got sidetracked. Since the subject returned here it is!
BTW-- Black Squirrels are a color morph of the Grey Squirrel "Sciurus Carolinesis" which also comes in a red form which is not though the same as the "Red Squirrel" nor the "Fox Squirrel" which are seperate species!

Russ Emmons, St. Clair county

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Capt. Paul, Dr. Nat has a great sense of Humor. I have an albino ferret now and he is so cool. We call him snowball (real original name. Nice to see your name on the pasty page as usual. Hope you guys are doing well.

Hi Russell,

that is a domestic rabbit that someone has turned loose, or got away. Look for mixed bunnies with strange white patches next year!

Glenda: We thought that too at first. The small size and features of this rabbit is more Cottontail. The mousey brown coloration is exactly as cottontails. Domestic rabbits that I know of don't sport that mousey brown coloration. If anything it would or could be already a this year "mixed bunnie with strange white patches"!---yes, possibly half breed come to think of it!