Black squirrels? In Kansas? Sure enough, it's true. Entering Marysville from any direction, there are signs proclaiming "Marysville, Kansas - Black Squirrel City".
Be on the lookout when driving around town for the black squirrel has the right-of-way on all streets, alleys and railroad crossings. The fine is $25 for harming one. Honest.
The exclusive profusion of black squirrels in Marysville is a curious phenomenon. The most likely explanation involves a traveling carnival which passed through town in the 1920's and stayed for a few days in the city park. Among the carnival exhibits was a cage full of black squirrels. One night, a child opened the cage and the squirrels escaped. Since then, the squirrels have increased their ranks by inbreeding and breeding with the eastern gray squirrels. About one-fifth of Marysville's squirrel population is now black. Scientifically speaking, the black squirrel is a rare melanistic (black) mutation of the eastern gray squirrel. Whatever the reason for their presence in Marysville, residents and passersby seem to love them.
I caught one resident putting a dried ear of corn in his homemade squirrel box attached to an oak tree in his front yard. He told me, "I love these critters. They are so much fun to sit and watch, so beautiful and I think they bring me good luck." Other residents must feel the same way as there are many areas around town where squirrel feeders and squirrel homes can be seen attached to fence posts, porches and trees.
In my search for the black squirrels I asked a passing mailman for the best vantage point. He directed me to the park - their main territory. I strolled among the oaks and walnuts and, after a few minutes I spotted one running through the grass with a walnut in his mouth. He saw me and darted up a tree sounding a loud "chert-chert-chert" warning cry.
A squirrel is movement. He is a shadow on a tree trunk, a moving branch, a flicker in the sun. He is nervous, yet he can be very trusting. He is noisy, very, very noisy and often scolds an intruder for walking under his tree. His scolding is a warning to other wildlife and many non-squirrels have been saved from danger by the squirrel's chattery ways.
He is a powerful climber and leaper using his tail in remarkable ways. In his endless jaunts through the treetops he uses his tail to balance; when he drops down suddenly he adjusts it and uses it as a makeshift parachute. It provides shade in the summer and warmth in the winter. It is sensitive to touch and to air currents and may have some kind of warning function that keeps the little animal from being unexpectedly wafted out of a tree by a trick gust.
These little bundles of energy are most active just after dawn and in the late afternoon. Their highways are the power lines that run through town. They can cover a lot of territory safely by running over these lines, stopping at favorite trees here and there. They love to sleep and sun themselves on high branches during the day, but often come to earth to forage in the shade.
Black squirrels do not hibernate, although bad weather keeps them in their nests for several days at a time. They den alone, but when the weather turns really cold, a number will curl up together for warmth. Though they prefer hollow trees or nesting boxes furnished by squirrel loving citizens, they will readily construct leaf nests if none are available. An individual range will extend for about 200 yards around a single nest tree, but this is seasonal. As different crops mature they shift ranges.
The black squirrel is a big eater consuming as much as 100 pounds of food a year. One Marysville citizen claimed she went through 500 pounds of sunflower seeds supplying the black squirrels in her neighborhood. Their food consists of many tree products including nuts, fruits, berries, buds, seeds, twigs and flowers. They are busiest during the fall, gathering nuts to store for food during the winter.
On August 28, 1972, the governing body of Marysville passed legislation
protecting the black squirrel and making it the official town mascot. It
has the freedom to trespass on all city property, immunity from traffic
regulations and the first pick of all black walnuts growing within the
city.
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