Rare white squirrel drawing attention on Florida's Space Coast

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Published  November 19, 2024 7:27pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Rare white squirrel spotted on Space Coast

There has been a rare white squirrel sighting on Florida's Space Coast. Researchers say the unique color is extremely uncommon for the gray squirrel species, so it’s getting a lot of attention. Sightings of the white squirrel were reported on Pine Tree Drive in Indialantic this week.

INDIALANTIC, Fla. - There has been a rare white squirrel sighting on Florida's Space Coast. 

Researchers say the unique color is extremely uncommon for the gray squirrel species, so it’s getting a lot of attention. 

Sightings of the white squirrel were reported on Pine Tree Drive in Indialantic this week. 

"He’s definitely a famous little squirrel. He’s rare," said Megan Sinigoi. She says her kids love the little squirrel who's often spotted on their back fence.  

Its rarity makes the sightings even more special.

"I am probably one of the lucky ones to have seen it," said Theresa Armstrong, who snapped pictures of the little creature. 

Theresa and Megan say he’s the beloved neighborhood pet who’s earned the name Snowy.

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"When you do see him, it’s nice," added Theresa. 

Squirrel researchers say sightings like this aren’t common.

"At any given place, they’re going to be quite rare," said Thaddeus McRae, who’s been studying squirrels for decades. 

He says the fact that the squirrel’s living in an urban neighborhood may help it survive.

"If that squirrel had this beautiful white fur in the middle of a Florida pine land, it would stick out like a soar thumb and a hawk would get it. That would be that," he said. 

How and why the squirrel’s on the Space Coast is complicated. McRae says there are two possibilities. It was either someone’s pet at one point or a genetic mutation. 

"It’s a deviation, a shift from the usual patterns of inheritance," said the researcher. 

Neighbors are just happy it’s calling their community home.  

"He’s just an albino squirrel, and the kids love him," concluded Megan. 

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