Squirrels in the Washington Post

[Squirrel Girl]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/18/AR2005051802251.html

An Exotic Evolution
Black Squirrels Imported in Early 1900s Gain Foothold

By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 19, 2005; Page B01

Because the history of Washington has been written by humans, nobody has paid much attention to the fact that 18 Canadian squirrels were released at the National Zoo during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.

But, if the capital's story were ever told by its rodents, few events would be more prominent than this one.

That's because those 18 squirrels -- whose coats of lustrous black set them apart from the native animals -- were the beginning of a shift that has changed the complexion of Washington's backyard critters. Now, probably because of a slight evolutionary advantage conveyed with a black coat, the descendants of these squirrels have spread all the way into Rockville and Prince William County.

Seriously: Scientists say it's a real-life example of natural selection at work, which has rolled on for a century here without much public notice.
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[Dirt]

I think there are squirrels in the Washington Post every day. ;) I think that's why I naturally select the BBC as one of my main sources for news.

Pete

[CRAIG2]

Too bad natural selection isn't having a profound impact on humans these days.... :D

[Squirrel Girl]

Too bad natural selection isn't having a profound impact on humans these days.... :DI'd answer that, but Martin would kick me off the Forum! :eek:

[CRAIG2]

I expect to have my hand slapped, but I couldn't resist.

[piperj]

Ahhh, everyone will be happy to know that Natural Selection does have a profound impact on humans...

http://www.darwinawards.com/

Well, maybe not profound, but at least the folks they mention on the Darwin Awards website really did deserve to be removed from the gene pool! :p

[Squirrel Girl]

I expect to have my hand slapped, but I couldn't resist.Hey, I'll slap your hand, or anything else you want smacked! :eek:

See--the description of the thread said no religion, no politics. It didn't say a thing about fun. Ergo.........

[Dirt]

Hey, I'll slap your hand, or anything else you want smacked! :eek:

See--the description of the thread said no religion, no politics. It didn't say a thing about fun. Ergo.........

Its good that you got some practice with the bull whip at Fountainhead last night.

Pete

[hobie18]

I've seen a few in Springfield. There goes the neighborhood.

[Squirrel Girl]

Omigod! I don't believe you guys are saying that! But I want to go on the record and say that I am for full squirrel diversity. When I lived in Gburg and had both grey and black squirrels, as well as some that seemed like mixed color-variant squirrels (brownish). All are good! I tracked down pasty white squirrels in Florida. Black squirrels on Rock Island. Red squirrels. Wah hoo!

BTW, you guys took my reticence for saying something and ran down a completely different direction. I was thinking more of a political/religious commentary, not a color issue. That never even crossed my mind.

[CRAIG2]

Mmmmm, Dr. B... LOL

I was hoping you'd have brought the whip to Wakefield Tuesday, but alas, I was left hanging... raincheck? :D

[Squirrel Girl]

Its good that you got some practice with the bull whip at Fountainhead last night. Highly curious that RICK was the expert at cracking it.

Craig, Honey, my wrists were non-functional Tuesday night. I just couldn't have done you justice then. Though it did come out last night that I crack a bullwhip like a girl! :rolleyes:

[CRAIG2]

Hmmmm.... a likely story. ;)

Hope you feel better soon! :rolleyes:

[Dirt]

Omigod! I don't believe you guys are saying that! But I want to go on the record and say that I am for full squirrel diversity.

There are about a dozen good lines from "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle" that would apply to this topic. I'll use one that will offend the fewest people.

"The universe tends to unfold as it should."


Though it did come out last night that I crack a bullwhip like a girl! :rolleyes:

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I've seen some girls that can crack a mean whip.

Have a nice day, dammit!

Pete

[Squirrel Girl]

I'm comfortable in my girl-like skill with the bullwhip. It just means that I have a good excuse to practice a lot! :D

When I get good enough to accurately target Craig's skinny little a**, then I will be an expert! ;) :D ;)

[CRAIG2]

yeah baby, now we're talking! you're my kind of woman ;)

[Dirt]

When I get good enough to accurately target Craig's skinny little a**, then I will be an expert! ;) :D ;)

It is good to have goals in life.

Pete

[saxman]

Back on the original topic...

I always thought that the black fur was just a recessive gene. A number of these little buggers populate my parents' neighborhood. At first there was one that we saw several years ago. Now there's a whole bunch of them.

Like the article states, these guys just came straight up Rock Creek Park, went past Lake Needwood, continued up one of the tributaries to Needwood and ended up in my parents neighborhood, all in a span of less than 100 years.

Sounds like there should be a "Black Squirrel Ride" to retrace the steps of the black squirrels path of invasion starting from Lake Needwood, down the hiker biker trail to Beach Drive on the D.C. line and then follow that to the zoo, and then turn back. I know its 14 miles from Needwood to the D.C. line, not sure how much farther the zoo is (5 or 6 miles?) and then back to Needwood. Not a bad slick-tire ride!