Wildlife Removal - Albino Squirrel in West Long Branch, NJ

In New Jersey, white squirrels are a white version of the eastern grey squirrel resulting from a genetic mutation that causes the white coats. This is a very unusual mutation. In all of my years as a wildlife technician, this is the first time I’ve seen a white squirrel. As far as I know, none of the other wildlife techs at Cowleys have seen one either. Usually, a coat is white because of albinism in which the gene that codes for pigmentation is mutated. The other genetic aberration is a white morph caused by a different gene. You can distinguish an albino white from a white morph by the eyes. Since albinos lack pigment in the eyes as well as the skin, their eyes are dark red. We don’t see many white squirrels because in the process of natural selection the deck is stacked against them.

It’s hard to hide from predators and blend in with the colors of nature when your coat is shiny white. There are a few small towns in the United States where colonies of white squirrels have thrived. Olney, Illinois, the “white squirrel capital of the world,” has the world’s largest white squirrel colony. These squirrels have the right of way on all streets in town and there is a $500 fine for hitting one. Unfortunately, this white squirrel that I found in the home had died. If it were alive I could have started a new business. Russ Cavender of Longs, South Carolina caught a white squirrel and started breeding him. He is now selling the white baby squirrels as pets for $1000 each!