We recently caught a photo of this little guy after he enjoyed a walnut snack and it got us thinking: White squirrels are basically local celebrities here in Bowling Green, but does everyone know what makes their fur white?

In Bowling Green, our white squirrels are actually of the Eastern Gray Squirrel variety. Funny, right? If you’re thinking that albinism is the cause, guess again – unless the white squirrel in question has red eyes. As it turns out, the white squirrels commonly found in our area get their white fur from a type of leucism, a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals caused by a recessive gene. Squirrels with this genetic anomaly can actually end up with a paler gray coloring, have spots of color, or most commonly be completely white.