Today we were just doing some vocabulary (really!) on the terrace, when I caught a movement in the tree opposite - a squirrel. We both saw it for a few seconds before it disappeared - certainly no time to get a photo. In my mind's eye it looked like the two I have pictured below. Barbara saw one the first year we were in Barga - also black - and I think we have glimpsed one in the intervening year. People agree that the squirrels (scoiattoli) here are black, but the biology suggests that in Tuscany they will actually be dark versions of the red squirrel.
There is a true black species of squirrel in Italy, but it only occurs in Calabria - the Calabrian Black Squirrel. However, since this is not a scientific blog, I have posted these photos of the Calabrian one, as this is exactly what ours looked like - white tummy and all ...
very interesting! I have never heard of, or seen, a calabrian black squirrel, I think! but now that you've pointed out the differences (with other grey or red squirrels) I'll be on the alert!
ReplyDeleteBarbara doesn't think it was as black as I thought it was!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pietro we have neven seen one like this with the bright white tummy. We did have a darkish one running down the electricity cable in front of the terrace and then disappearing in the trees on the left. We sat out specially to wait for
ReplyDeletehim because he always passed by on the same time, just before dusk . We suspected a secret "incontro amoroso"
I wonder - could too much of the incontro amoroso have turned his tummy white!? We would love to be able to watch a squirrel every night for a bit! I think "darkish" is how Barbara would now describe it, with a "paler" tummy - so I guess I am the only one holding out for a new species ...
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