Five images, three of a Black (melanistic) Eastern Chipmunk and two of a normal Chipmunk for comparison:

There is an article in The Ottawa Citizen today entitled "All-black chipmunk a 'once-in-a-lifetime' find. See ( http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/black+chipmunk+once+lifetime+find/3431171/story.html#ixzz0xRSImD2a ) about the rare Black Chipmunk sighted at Shirley's Bay. I saw and photographed it there today. Catherine Gardiner (Pbase member) posted a picture of it on July 21 and Wilson Hum, an other Pbase member posted some images of it this past week.

According to the article in the Citizen, Black Chipmunks are extremely rare and sightings are very few. They indicate that the black colouring is caused by an increased amount of the pigment melanin, a rare genetic anomaly. They also indicate that this condition is more common in Squirrels and that it is the opposite of albinism.

Top Image: The relatively tame Black (melanistic) Chipmunk stuffing its cheeks with peanuts.


Normal Chipmunk with its cheeks stuffed full.


Black Chipmunk with one cheek full reaches for an other peanut.


Normal Chipmunk with its gills stuffed to the brim.


Black Chipmunk, about to depart to stash its haul. It's what they seem to do. They don't eat the peanuts like Squirrels would. Rather they take as many as they can and hide them for a rainy/snowy day.