Rare ‘Spirit Squirrel’ Spotted in Iowa

The Native Americans called them “spirit squirrels." They are not albinos, as their eyes are not pink, but colored the same as a regular squirrel, except for the patches of white. Wildlife experts refer to them as piebald squirrels.

This coloration is more common in other animals -- such as
cats, dogs, horses, and birds. In squirrels this condition is very rare

This one (below) was spotted in Le Grand, around 50 miles southwest of Waterloo.

According to etymonline the term was first coined in the 1580s; from the word 'pie' taken from magpie + bald (as in the white color) in reference to the black-and-white plumage of the magpie.

Other Photos of Piebald Squirrels: