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Black Eastern Chipmunk (melanistic)

Tamias striatus

Photo by warreng
Published on Project Noah
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44.695, -76.1929

Field Notes

Description:

We call him Blackie. At first you think he must be a squirrel, but nope. Chipmunk. Nobody I have spoken with has ever seen one.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)
KristenGilpin
I had a black squirrel in Pennsylvania that was melanistic :) As a little girl, he was my favorite... mostly because I could always pick him out.
WarrenGlenn
Cool - thanks! My family will certainly be interested in that.
KristenGilpin
This may be caused by a condition called melanism which is essentially the opposite of albinism. In albinos, there is a lack of pigmentation while in melanistic individuals, there is an excess. Here is some more information for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanism
Maci
awh hes so adorable. (:

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Rare Color Morphs
Photographed
PublishedSeptember 1, 2011

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