If you told me a black squirrel visits your yard often I would only believe it if you had a pic readily available as proof. Why? Because these creatures are incredibly rare.

The chances of you spotting a black squirrel are one in 10,000, according to Mental Floss.

Do you know what else is a "1 in 10,000" chance?

Lightning
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Getting struck by lightning...

WHY ARE THESE SQUIRRELS SO RARE?

Biologists in the UK explain why some squirrels are completely black;

The bit of genetic code that causes the gray squirrel species to turn black, one of two mutations that occasionally cause big, usually reddish fox squirrels to turn black.

They also explained that this likely began when fox squirrels started mating with grey squirrels.

Grey squirrel yawning
Credit: Dgwildlife
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ARE BLACK SQUIRRELS LUCKY?

Not really. Legends say the black squirrel is associated with an eclipse and should be destroyed so mankind (the people, not the wrestler) can enjoy warmth and sunshine, according to worldbirds.com.

ARE THEY REALLY THAT RARE?

Well, in the squirrel world, for every 10 thousand "normal squirrels", there's one fully black squirrel. However, your greatest chance at spotting these rare wonders is most likely to occur throughout the United States, including in Illinois.

Credit: Dawn Cunningham
Credit: Dawn Cunningham
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That squirrel, which looks huge by the way, is said to return to this same home frequently.

The thing hangs out here all the time but he was truly relaxing today.

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If there's a rare or unique creature roaming your property or somewhere nearby send snap a pic and send it to us through our mobile app, we'd love to share it.

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