Rare Mutated "1 in 100,000" Squirrel Discovered in Wappingers

A squirrel that has defied the laws of evolution was discovered in a Wappingers Falls yard.

The Hudson Valley is no stranger to animals, and sometimes those animals turn out to be quite interesting. Of course, there's the case of the "zombie deer" with a grotesque growth that makes it appear that her eye is dangling from the socket. Affectionately named "Popeye" by locals, that deer seems to be living a healthy life and recently gave birth to a fawn.

Not too far from where Popeye lives is the site of another anomaly of nature that was just captured on video.

Wappingers Falls resident, Dee Lombardo, sent us video of an albino squirrel that has been visiting her yard. Truly albino squirrels are extremely rare to spot in the wild.

According to Lombardo, the elusive squirrel has been spotted in her yard over the past six months, but this was the first time she was able to capture it with her phone.

Albinism, a rare genetic mutation that causes squirrels to have no pigmentation and pink eyes, is said to occur just once in every 100,000 squirrels.

A similar squirrel was discovered in Hyde Park, New York last summer, but that one was not nearly as bright white as this one. In that case, the squirrel was most likely a morph squirrel, which still has some pigment, but is born with very light-colored fur.

D. Lombardo

An albino squirrel, like the one discovered in Wappingers Falls, is said to bring good luck. And that squirrel is going to need it. It turns out that not many white squirrels exist because their color makes them much more visible to prey. Although some areas that receive lots of snow have claimed to be home to families of albino squirrels that use their white fur as camouflage during the winter months.

Have you ever seen an albino squirrel or some other unique creature in the Hudson Valley? If you send us an image we'd love to publish a story about it. You can send us photos and images through our free mobile app directly from your phone.

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Michigan Movie Theater for Squirrels

Animals in Which Rabies is Most Commonly Found

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in North America rabies is most commonly found in bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and mongoose. It is also found in cats, cattle, and dogs. The CDC says that rabid bats have been found in every state except for Hawaii. Rabid mongoose have been found in Puerto Rico.

Rabies is easily transmitted from animals to other animals, including human beings. Human cases are rare in the United States, but deadly if not caught in time.

Gallery Credit: Kristine Bellino

Source: Rare Mutated “1 in 100,000″ Squirrel Discovered in Wappingers