About the project
Learn more about the mission and vision of Squirrel Mapper
“Black squirrels” are a color variation of the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Black squirrels were common everywhere grays occurred until 100 years ago, but are now rare, except in some urban areas and parts of Canada.
Why has the black morph mostly disappeared? And why does it still linger in cities?
Squirrel Mapper is a volunteer-powered, scientific study of rapid color evolution in Sciurus carolinensis. With the help of citizen scientists, we study what how and why the different color forms of gray squirrels are changing across North America.
get involved with the research
map SQUIRRELs
with iNaturalist
classify squirrels
with Zooniverse
find squirrels
with Squirrel Spotter
MEET squirrels
with this guide
Meet the morphs
Shifting coat colors driven by human activities
our impact
300,000
CLASSIFICATIONS
Our work relies on photos of squirrels taken by citizen scientists. Anyone can upload images of squirrels using the iNaturalist app. Each photo is then classified according to coat color by the 10,000 volunteers using the Zooniverse platform.
We can’t do this without you!
“Can mammals adapt to a changing environment ? Better understanding fur color variation in gray squirrels might help us answer the question...”.”
Get Involved
Join our community and contribute to important scientific research
Meet the Squirrels
Discover the color morphs of Sciurus carolinensis
