Black Squirrel

I see many of these black squirrels in the area.

I finally got close enough to get a picture.

Black squirrels in Washington state are most commonly found in Bellingham, where they have established a large and visible local population.  They are not a separate species: They are a melanistic (dark-pigmented) morph or subgroup of the Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).

The cause: Their black fur comes from a genetic variation, specifically a small deletion in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene. Their presence in the state dates back to the early 1900s. Many observations and local histories suggest they migrated southward from British Columbia, Canada, or were introduced via localized populations.