Habitat
Forest type: White squirrels are not a separate species; they are color variants (leucistic or albino) of the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).
They thrive wherever gray squirrels live:
Hardwood and mixed forests with oak, hickory, beech, and maple
Urban/suburban parks with mature trees and access to food
Riparian edges (wooded stream banks)
In Brevard, they adapt well to city landscapes—large shade trees, wooded yards, and parks—thanks to the town’s squirrel-friendly ordinances and plentiful nut trees.
Life Expectancy
Wild lifespan: Typically 5–6 years on average, though some reach up to 12 years if predators and disease are minimal.
High mortality in year one: Only about 25% of juveniles survive their first year due to predators (hawks, owls, foxes), accidents, or food scarcity.
Protected environments like Brevard can tip the odds upward—less hunting pressure and abundant feeders can help individuals live toward the upper end of the range.
Diet & Eating Habits
White squirrels eat the same foods as gray squirrels:
Tree nuts and seeds: Acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, walnuts, pecans
Fruits & buds: Berries, apples, maple buds, dogwood berries
Fungi & mushrooms
Occasional insects or bird eggs (opportunistic protein)
Human food: They readily visit bird feeders for sunflower seeds, corn, or peanuts.
Behavior highlights:
They cache food (bury nuts) for winter, remembering cache locations with spatial memory and scent cues.
Feeding is mainly early morning and late afternoon, when predators are less active.
They gnaw constantly to keep teeth worn down.
Why the White Color
Leucism (most common in Brevard): A partial loss of pigment that turns fur white but leaves dark eyes and skin—unlike albinism.
Albinism (rare): Total lack of melanin, resulting in pink eyes.
The color doesn’t change diet or lifespan directly, but white fur can make them more visible to predators in some habitats—offset in Brevard by strong local protections.
A white squirrel was seen today and photographed by my wife Marilyn Ravina at the Buffumville Dam in Charlton MA. That dam is a federal site managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, open to all.
Paul,
Thank you for letting us know about your white squirrel sighting.
Hi Squirrely: we’ve had a white squirrel in and around our yard for a few weeks now. In Oberlin, Ohio. We just took a photo of “Whitey” drinking from our bird bath in the backyard. Albino squirrels are sort of famous in Oberlin. You may know it’s the mascot of the local college — Oberlin College. But this is my first sighting of a truly white squirrel. Can’t tell if it’s actually an albino squirrel.
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for sharing that info about the college. Oberlin’s white squirrel population is genuinely well known, so you’re in good company there.
The difference between albino and leucistic:
• Albino squirrels have zero pigment at all. The giveaway is the eyes — they’ll be pink or red because you’re seeing the blood vessels through the iris, since there’s no pigment to mask them. Their fur is pure white with no markings anywhere.
• Leucistic squirrels have reduced pigment but not a total absence. Their eyes stay dark (black or brown), and you’ll sometimes see faint gray or tan patches, especially on the tail or around the ears, even if the body reads as mostly white.
So the simplest test: get a good look at the eyes next time Whitey visits the bird bath. Pink/red eyes means albino, dark eyes means leucistic. Oberlin’s population is actually thought to be a mix of both, descended from a colony that escaped or was released decades ago, so either is plausible for your visitor.
We have an albino squirrel that visits a bird seed every day around 11 o’clock here in zone four near Saint Paul Minnesota. He seems to chase the red squirrel and gray squirrels away. He has pink inside his ears, paws and around his eyes, although the pupil seems dark. I enjoy feeding him every day. He’s getting a little bit less cautious when I come out on the deck. Maybe it’s a she, likes to chew on the corn cob that I have on a holder as all the other squirrels do to.
Christine,
Thank you for reporting your Albino squirrel sighting. They are a joy to watch.
-Squirrely
White squirrel born this year in neighbour’s oak tree 2025 south London
Congratulations! Thank you for reporting your white squirrel sighting.
-Squirrely
I just discovered one in my back your here in Chattanooga, Tn.
Hi George,
Thank you for taking the time to report your white squirrel sighting!
-Squirrely