{"id":4487,"date":"2024-05-26T13:39:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-26T13:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/?p=4487"},"modified":"2024-05-26T13:39:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-26T13:39:04","slug":"the-mystery-of-the-squnk-ohio-residents-cant-tell-if-this-creature-is-a-squirrel-or-a-skunk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/?p=4487","title":{"rendered":"The mystery of the \u201csqunk\u201d: Ohio residents can\u2019t tell if this creature is a squirrel or a skunk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A unique, fascinating creature has been turning heads in Northeast Ohio recently: an animal that appears to be a cross between a squirrel and a skunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The animal, dubbed a \u201csqunk,\u201d has the body of a squirrel but the dark black fur and white-tipped tail of a skunk:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There have been several sightings of the unique creature in Ohio recently and photos have gone viral on social media. Some have speculated that the \u201csqunk\u201d might actually be a hybrid of the two animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Share<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is not the case: it is impossible for squirrels and skunks to mate, as they are too genetically different, according to\u00a0WTRF<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u201csqunk,\u201d it turns out, is actually a black squirrel. While it doesn\u2019t have any skunk DNA, it is still quite a rare sight. Black squirrels are the result of breeding between eastern gray squirrels and fox squirrels: the animal seen here is actually an eastern gray squirrel who inherited a gene variant resulting in a darker coloration, according to\u00a0Smithsonian Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Black squirrels are rare, making up only one in every 10,000 squirrels. Their dark coat gives them a thermal advantage over normal gray squirrels, helping them to keep warm in the winter and in colder regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black squirrels are the\u00a0unofficial mascot of Kent State University<\/a>: in 1961, 10 black squirrels were released on campus, and they have become an iconic staple of the university ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you\u2019re in Ohio and come across a \u201csqunk,\u201d rest assured it\u2019s only a black squirrel with a little skunk-like fur on its tail \u2014 you\u2019re not in danger of getting sprayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wow, what a striking creature! It might not actually be a squirrel-skunk hybrid but still a unique animal to come across \u2764\ufe0f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please share this story if you love animals!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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