Hello. My fiance and i were headed eastbound on Main Street (near the intersection of Nelson Lake Road) outside of Batavia. A black squirrel dashed across the road in front of our car. We slowed down just enough to see it escape into the left side undergrowth. It was not a cat. It was not a skunk. I thought black squirrels were native to Maine?! Can this be?

Yes, we have black squirrels in Illinois. Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) sometimes have genetic mutations that cause them to be white or black instead of the traditional gray.

OMG that is so funny. Just today I was on Main street near Batvia I think, and a black squirrel ran in front of our car to the left. I have not seen black squirrels since I was a kid in Chicago around 40 years ago. I went online to see if there is a population of them near Batavia only to find your response. It was maybe around 1 mile west of Randel road on Main street.

23-Jan-2013-7AM; While heading east on Wilson St, I saw a jet black squirrel dart across the road, south to north. I didn't realize we had black squirrels in Illinois!