What Color Offspring Will Be Born If a Red Squirrel Mates With an Albino?
This article will answer the question “What color offspring will be born if a red squirrel mates with a brownish black squirrel?” and will go over the benefits and drawbacks of both mate-and-breed combinations. The offspring of a red squirrel and an albino will usually be red, but there are also instances when the offspring will be white or blue. True albinos are rare and often have decreased eyesight and are more prone to falls. Cats have also been linked to the decline in the population of Olney Illinois’s albinos.
Table of Contents
Red
The genetics of coat color variation in a red squirrel are unknown, but researchers have uncovered some intriguing facts. The female squirrel is only “receptive” for about a day during her breeding season, and she can be impregnated by several males. The males do not raise the offspring, so it’s unclear how their offspring will be affected by the cross.
The melanistic and red squirrels are closely related, but a gene mutation in a female is the cause of the colour differences. A red squirrel can produce offspring with blue or pink eyes, but an albino does not have the same pigmentation. Albino red squirrels can have less than 50% of their offspring be born white. Albinos may also be more susceptible to falling due to poor vision. The decline in the Olney Illinois albino population has been traced to cats.
Grey
The offspring of red and albino squirrels are usually grey. The difference lies in the sex of the offspring. Reds are able to mate with any female, but females can mate with either an albino or a grey. The offspring of a red and an albino will be a mix of both races. Grey squirrels are not albino, but they do share the same sex.
Squirrels have seven distinct hair types. Each type has a slightly different pattern of pigmentation, resulting in a grizzled grey appearance. Grey fur is the result of a blend of the six hair types and differs in patterns of black, orange and white banding. The two different colourings are caused by a combination of genetic factors and environment.
Jet black
In recent years, there have been reports of black squirrel sightings in parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. These creatures are darker than their gray-coloured cousins, and they have a greater level of the male hormone testosterone. These characteristics make black squirrels more aggressive and attracted to females. Scientists think the black squirrels share the same gene.
A black squirrel is born with one gene that is associated with producing melanin. Melanin genes are found in pairs, so a black squirrel that has one gene damaged will have brown-black fur. Likewise, a red squirrel with two damaged genes will have a jet-black coat. In fact, some red squirrels are “blond,” while some are actually tan or ochre. This trait is caused by a defect in the genes encoding the melanin protein.
Brownish-black
When a red squirrel mate with an albino, their offspring will have a brownish-black coat, and vice versa. Squirrels are genetically controlled to have varying coat colours. Some morphs may be advantageous in particular environments, while others may have detrimental effects. The reason why some squirrels have particular coat colours may be due to human selection.
Neither the Red nor the White morph has an advantage over the other two morphs, except for the white colour, which makes them more easily noticed by predators. This does not prevent white squirrels from surviving in the wild. In fact, the white squirrels do not hibernate, but may have a selective advantage in certain areas where snow is a problem. Despite this disadvantage, their populations persist largely because of human intervention.
White
Researchers have recently found evidence of white offspring when a red squirrel mates with an albinos. This behavior may have evolved in the early 19th century after researchers studied red squirrels’ alarm calls. In a paper published in Science magazine, Mercer, J., and colleagues showed that male and female red squirrels respond to different food sources. Specifically, they show that food availability affects their behavior and reproduction differently. They also studied the role of seed predators in their diets.
Another type of colour morph is melanism. This morph has a reddish appearance and a reddish tail. Italian scientists studied red squirrels in the Alps and found one that was melanism-free. They also observed that the colour morphs tended to be more prevalent in red squirrels than in their brown cousins.
Jessica Watson is a PHD holder from the University of Washington. She studied behavior and interaction between squirrels and has presented her research in several wildlife conferences including TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg.
