Bellingham Is Home to a Unique Resident
This bright white, leucistic squirrel was spotted in late October by a family on Caroline Drive. Have you seen her? Photo by Reese Heroux
White Squirrel Spotted Last Month in Town
By J.D. O’Gara
It was Saturday morning on Caroline Drive in Bellingham, and Robin Heroux was doing what many of her neighbors might be doing at that time.
“It was breakfast time. I was making coffee, looking out the back window, and my daughter was on her phone, as usual,” notes Heroux, when something caught her eyeprompting her to call Reese, her daughter, to hurry over with her phone.
In her backyard was a snow-white squirrel.
The two took a video and a muddy picture, but the next day, they were at the ready, opening the door for a (slightly) better picture when the bright white critter showed up around the same time.
“We had seen two gray squirrels that have a whitish back to them,” adds Dan Heroux, wondering if the white squirrel was some sort of offspring.
Massachusetts Wildlife Rehabilitator Susan Siegel, of Return 2 Wild, agrees that’s a possibility.
“It’s (likely) an Eastern Gray squirrel, but a leucistic squirrel,” says Siegel. “It’s uncommon, but it does happen.”
Leucism is a genetic anomaly due to a mutated gene. A recessive allele causes reduced pigmentation in all types of skin pigment. Eastern Gray Squirrels can also produce melanistic offspring, which are black and seen a bit more often, says Siegel.
“They’re still an Eastern Gray Squirrel. They’re not common at all, but we do see them once in awhile. Leucistics do quite well, but because they’re white, they’re certainly more visible to predators. It’s harder for them to blend in.” says Seigel.In the meantime, the two Heroux family members that spotted the squirrel are affectionately referring to it as “she,” even choosing a name for her, “Oehni,” after searching for names in different languages that meant “unique.”
