Meet Chuck P. Acorn, Our Friendly Black Squirrel!

You aren't seeing things...this is a black squirrel! I was working at my desk when this black squirrel appeared in one of the trees.

They aren't as common as one would think.  According to an article from Mental Floss, only 1 in 10,000 squirrels in North American are black.  The article states that researchers "at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge University, and the Virginia Museum of Natural History collaborated on a project that tested squirrel DNA."

The research concluded that squirrels with black fur are a result of a genetic detour.  In other words, this is the classic case of interspecies breeding.  The fox and gray squirrel are responsible for creating this unique creature.

Believe it or not, this is only the second time I have seen a black squirrel.  They are starting to become more common in the Midwest region.

I asked around the office to see if the black squirrel should have a name.  Our Digital Media Editor, Taneil Johnson came up with -- Chuck P. Acorn. The "P" stands for Patches.  Check out this video of Chuck enjoying the outdoors before winter takes over the Sioux Empire!

Source: Mental Floss