Are white squirrels rare in the UK?
The white squirrel is an albino grey squirrel, they seem to be becoming more common. We do not have any red squirrels in Kent, just an abundance of greys. The odds against a pure white squirrel being born are 1 in 100,000. Albinism is due to gene mutations that affect the production of pigmentation. True albino animals lack melanin and are white with no markings and with unpigmented pink eyes. In some species there is also a form known as blue-eyed (or partial) albinism. Squirrels, white or otherwise, do not make good pets and it is illegal under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act to take any animal from the wild without meaning to return it once fit. White squirrels in the UK, although rare, often live in small albino colonies, so if you see one, the chances are there are others nearby. As white squirrels are true albinos, they do not see or hear as well as other squirrels. This makes them easier for predators, to catch and kill. Dogs, cats, foxes and birds of prey are all
