The Black Squirrel of Mirkwood. - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

narfforc · 10-15-2010, 01:09 AM

Apparently this animal is on the rise in The South and East of England. It was first sited in England around 1912. When Anborn first mentions them, I thought them to be another Tolkien creation (I was 11 at the time). I'd never seen or heard talk of them. They now seem to growing in population again, ironically around the same area that the Grey was introduced into England around the 1870's. So keep your eyes peeled, one day you may well be closer to Eryn Lasgalen than you think.

Boromir88 · 10-18-2010, 07:14 PM

My alma-mater's unofficial mascot is the Black Squirrel.

Story goes, a guy from the university seeking to run wild-life tests on black squirrels and the environment, went into Canada and brought back 10 of the black squirrels to Kent State, here in Ohio.

Long story short, they've taken over and exerted their dominance among the indigenous squirrels. They're all over my part of Ohio now.

We even have an Annual Black Squirrel Festival for them...it's kind of weird. The part of Wiki about the black squirrels driving out the native squirrels in Kent, is no joke. All the students who go there can tell you stories of the wars between the black and underground rebel grey squirrels.

narfforc · 10-19-2010, 09:09 AM

They are having the same effect here in England, however I don't feel sorry for the Grey, it has done enormous damage to the Red.

Morthoron · 10-19-2010, 01:51 PM

What a racially squirrelophobic thread this is!

Thinlómien · 10-19-2010, 01:52 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_squirrel

They are very cute though!

Nerwen · 10-20-2010, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narfforc

They are having the same effect here in England, however I don't feel sorry for the Grey, it has done enormous damage to the Red.

Might be a waste anyway– black squirrels are just greys with darker fur, apparently, not a separate species. So it's more like a hair colour becoming more common:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Some biologist in a BBC news article I just looked up

The rise of the black is the biggest change in squirrel demographics since the native reds almost disappeared 50 years ago from large parts of England.

This is not because black squirrels compete with greys in the way that greys compete with reds (the larger greys eat more, and carry a pox that is deadly to reds), but because the gene for black fur is dominant, just like the gene for brown eyes is dominant over blue in humans.

Incidentally– what a surprise– it seems the black fur gives a survival advantage in deep forests...

10-15-2010, 01:09 AM	#1
narfforc Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muddy-earth Posts: 1,297	The Black Squirrel of Mirkwood. Apparently this animal is on the rise in The South and East of England. It was first sited in England around 1912. When Anborn first mentions them, I thought them to be another Tolkien creation (I was 11 at the time). I'd never seen or heard talk of them. They now seem to growing in population again, ironically around the same area that the Grey was introduced into England around the 1870's. So keep your eyes peeled, one day you may well be closer to Eryn Lasgalen than you think. __________________ [B]THE LORD OF THE GRINS:THE ONE PARODY....A PARODY BETTER THAN THE RINGS OF POWER.

10-18-2010, 07:14 PM	#2
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,521	My alma-mater's unofficial mascot is the Black Squirrel. Story goes, a guy from the university seeking to run wild-life tests on black squirrels and the environment, went into Canada and brought back 10 of the black squirrels to Kent State, here in Ohio. Long story short, they've taken over and exerted their dominance among the indigenous squirrels. They're all over my part of Ohio now. We even have an Annual Black Squirrel Festival for them...it's kind of weird. The part of Wiki about the black squirrels driving out the native squirrels in Kent, is no joke. All the students who go there can tell you stories of the wars between the black and underground rebel grey squirrels. __________________ Fenris Penguin Last edited by Boromir88; 10-18-2010 at 07:22 PM.

10-19-2010, 09:09 AM	#3
narfforc Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muddy-earth Posts: 1,297	They are having the same effect here in England, however I don't feel sorry for the Grey, it has done enormous damage to the Red. __________________ [B]THE LORD OF THE GRINS:THE ONE PARODY....A PARODY BETTER THAN THE RINGS OF POWER.

10-19-2010, 01:51 PM	#4
Morthoron Curmudgeonly Wordwraith Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ensconced in curmudgeonly pursuits Posts: 2,515	What a racially squirrelophobic thread this is! __________________ And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision.

10-19-2010, 01:52 PM	#5
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_squirrel They are very cute though! __________________ Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris