Rare All-White Squirrel Spotted in Michigan

A Michigan woman in Bloomfield Township noticed something unique about one of the critters scampering around her yard, so she ran to retrieve her camera to get a better look.

Meredith Meyer said she was walking in her yard with her dog when she caught a glimpse of a rare all-white squirrel in the trees above. When she realized what it was she was looking at, Meyer said she ran inside to grab her new camera. When she returned back outside the squirrel had relocated to another tree, but its white coloring made it easy to spot, Meyer said.

“I’d be interested to know if anybody else has seen one of these. He was really, really cool. Just for the record, I did not use Clairol on it,” she said jokingly.

According to the Detroit Free Press, UntamedScience.com is a website which tracks sightings of these rare squirrels around North America. There have been a number of sighting reports around metro Detroit in particular, with another half dozen towns in eastern and central U.S. where white squirrels are prevalent. The closest location with an abundance of sightings is Exeter, Ontario, northeast of Port Huron, which is the self-proclaimed “home of the white squirrel” – at least in Canada, that is..

UntamedScience says the squirrel Meyer saw is in-fact NOT albino – which is even more rare – because of it posses “dark eyes” opposed to red. Instead, the critter in Meyer’s yard was a “white morph,” which is still unusual, but is also a natural mutation.

“I trespassed into my neighbors’ yard, in my pajamas, because I wanted to get a picture of it.”

“I think during quarantine, I’ve seen so many of my friends posting pictures of wildlife. We’re all spending more time at home. We’re enjoying our homes a lot more. That’s why my family bought the camera for Mother’s Day. I would not have gotten those pictures with my cell phone,” she added.

Meyer has not had another encounter with the all-white squirrel since, and says she hopes it didn’t become dinner for a hawk or coyote.

Have you ever witnessed an all-white squirrel before? If you’re in the area this story took place, keep your eyes peeled and let us know if you spot the rare critter again.

OutdoorHub Editor: Keenan Crow

Keenan Crow is an outdoor writer who graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in journalism and creative writing. He has been writing for OutdoorHub for nearly five years, but anybody he is close with will tell you he has been telling hunting stories for far longer. He uses his experiences outdoors to write about things he loves - bow hunting, fishing, upland hunting, shed hunting, turkey hunting, waterfowl hunting, dog training, shotguns, ATVs and the outdoor lifestyle he lives in his home state of Michigan. Outside of hunting/fishing, he also loves to cook - especially with wild game - play golf and go on hikes with his yellow lab, Stella.