When Squirrels Attack!

Yesterday, Curbed reported that black squirrels had moved to Boerum Hill. We had noticed them in the Bronx a few years ago, and their presence in Brooklyn suggests that squirrels must know how to take the subway. Anyway, as cute as they may seem, this story, via reader Rachel, freaks us out. In Russia, a squirrel pack "gutted" a dog, and when people came, the squirrels scattered, each taking a bit of the dog with them! A scientist in the Lazo region of eastern Russia seemed doubtful (apparently squirrels might attack a bird's nest for protein) but did say, "If it really happened, things must be pretty bad in our forests." Let's hope squirrels have enough acorns and other scraps - the last thing we want to do is hide from squirrels.

Did you know that black squirrels conserve their heat better? We found that out via Paul Krugman! And there are albino squirrels too - we don't know if albino squirrels and black squirrels make grey squirrels, though.

Email This Entry


Comments (16) [rss]

A black squirrel used to break into my apartment in Park Slope in 2001. After gnawing its way through my kitchen window screen, it would eat my cereal.

user-pic

black squirrels drive like this, white squirrels drive like this

user-pic

there are a lot of those black squirrels up here in inwood.

did some reading - turns out that black squirrels and gray squirrels are two different colors of the exact same species - the rather inaccurately named "eastern gray squirrel". Who knew!

time to dig out a burgoo recipe

Black squirrels have been in Stuyvesant Town for at least 30 years.

I've noticed a bunch of black squirrels in Astoria too lately.

user-pic

there are so many black squirrels in my neighborhood our property value has gone down.

::rimshot::

::kkkramer::

We've got 'em up in Bronxville; they're somewhat of a Sarah Lawrence mascot.

Those little buggers get around!!

user-pic

Black squirrels are a dime a dozen in NYC. White squirrels are very rare everywhere. Supposedly 1 in 100000. There is one in Prospect Park (location nondisclosed to protect it from paparazzi). Anyone else see whitey's?

I saw Al Sharpton in an oak tree protesting the use of the name "black squirrels"

I used to drive the monorail at the Bronx Zoo -- you could tell the out-of-towners by how they'd ignore the tigers and rhinos and gawk at the black squirrels. Then usually make some idiot remark about how, "We are in the Bronx, after all!"

great, now the grey and albino squirrels will flee to the suburbs and leave the inner city to wallow in debasement and decrepitness

The native red squirrels have been displaced by the greys and are now confined to isolated areas of the country. They are now making a comeback though thanks to their sales of tax-free tobacco and operation of casinos catering to the grey squirrels' gambling addictions.

Post a comment (Comment Policy)

Tips

Get your daily dose of New York first thing in the morning from our weekday newsletter, now in beta.

About Gothamist

Gothamist is a website about New York. More

Editor: Jen Chung
Publisher: Jake Dobkin

Newsmap

newsmap.jpg

Contribute

Latest Tip:

Another case of sudden jihad: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/student_kills_prof_nGgR2x0Omat9UDx4
[more]

Latest Photo:

Subscribe

Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.

All Our RSS

Follow us