The Great White Squirrel Of Lake Road

By Nancy K. Crevier

It has been more than three years since Alex and Marjorie Aitchison of Lake Road have seen such an unusual visitor in their yard, but for the last several weeks they have had the pleasure of observing a white squirrel scampering about.

“Every day the white squirrel comes from the woods and visits the bird feeder,” Mr Aitchison said. The squirrel patiently waits at the edge of the yard for other gray squirrels to leave before he scouts about for seed, or else the gray squirrels chase the odd white one away, Mr Aitchison added.

A white squirrel made an appearance in their yard about three years ago, he said, “But we hadn’t seen one since.” The year before that, his brother, visiting from Australia, swore he had seen a white squirrel in the yard, but the Aitchisons did not believe him.

Dale May of the Wildlife Division of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection said that white squirrels are relatively rare in Connecticut.

“Obviously, an albino squirrel is at a survival disadvantage,” said Mr May. “It stands out like a sore thumb in the wild.”

The condition of albinism, in which a creature lacks normal pigmentation, is not a benefit to a wild animal, Mr May said, and it is doubtful that this white squirrel is related to the one sighted earlier by the Aitchisons. “Four to five years is a long time to survive, even for a normal gray squirrel,” he said. There is no genetic advantage to an albino squirrel producing offspring, even if it finds a mate. “A lot of times, animals can detect when one is different,” Mr May pointed out.

In the meantime, Mr and Mrs Aitchison are pleased to add the snow-white squirrel to the list of animals that visit their Lake Road home. “It’s a treat to watch him,” Mr Aitchison said.