"We haven't seen any purple baby squirrels yet"

A purple-tailed [!] Easthern Gray Squirrel takes advantage of free food meant for the birds but available to a clever sciuridad in our bro and sis-in-law's backyard the other day. After climbing down the bird-feeder wire strung from a branch of the venerable Silver Maple (see photo below), it lands upon the "squirrel-proof" roof of the feeder, shaking down some birdseed onto the ground below. Then it's back up the wire and down the trunk for a tasty lunch. (Ellen Jameson photos)

"A purple squirrel which appeared at a school has baffled experts who are unable to explain its colour," subheads a recent UK Telegraph report [with thanks to our sis-in-law for the link]. The "expert" quoted wasn't really "baffled," but hey. What's a headline for? At any rate, everyone has a theory, and some of them aren't half bad:

"We don't think he is a mutant squirrel but he may have had a mishap around the school," [said the registrar].

"The old building where we have seen him nipping in and out is a bit of a graveyard for computer printers. He may have found some printer toners in there. We haven't seen any purple baby squirrels yet."

TV wildlife expert Chris Packham believes Pete will moult and lose his purple fur in time for spring. He said: "I have never seen anything like it before. Squirrels will chew anything even if it's obviously inedible. It is possible he has been chewing on a purple ink cartridge and then groomed that colouring into his fur.

 

We were skeptical until we did a little googling and found — in the comments at boingboing — a link to this video of a "squirrel having a dust bath":

I think the toner hypothesis is not only valid, but also very likely. I have a pet hamster and he just LOVES to dust himself with very fine dust; it makes his coat very good looking and soft to the touch. This is true of many rodents, and here is a video of a squirrel exhibiting the same behavior.

Just for fun, one more unsought bit of lore that fell into our lap while we were googling "purple squirrel," from a WSJ "Careers" article:

"Purple squirrel" is a code word job recuiters use for "the dream candidate that doesn't really exist, or if they do, they're very elusive."

If only your being "the dream candidate" for that all-important job were only a dust bath away.

Note: Lots more squirrel blogging, red (in tooth and claw), white, black and gray here.

Comments

[goomp]

Mutation or accident, either way it makes a fascinating picture. And smiling breakfasts. Modern miracles are too fast for me.

[retriever]

Love the squirrel stories! I got my best friend a Public enemy #1-13 or so T shirt with assorted mug shots of squirrels in disguise (some Cafe Press thing)

Here are some squirrel pix of mine

[Gayle Miller]

Smiling breakfast is my favorite!

I have an attorney on time out right now. I brought in some "Mardi Gras" treats - my homemade triple chocolate brownies with dried cherries in them. He can't have one until he turns in his January time. (If he doesn't turn in the time, our clients cannot be billed, so they don't pay us and then my paycheck is threatened - it's all a continuum!)

I have a luscious brownie wrapped in tin foil on my desk with his name on it. How fresh his treat will be depends on HIM.

As to squirrels with purple tails, I think that's a grand idea. I'm sure squirrels get bored with same old, same old - don't we all? That's how Clairol stays in business kids!

[be]

My best remembrances of my dad are of his handlebar moustache being dyed blue from the inks he was testing (at the Canadian version of 3M). Apparently, there were poor little blue mice running about in the labs as well.

[Kelly Walling]

I saw the same thing in my yard today!