By 1964, the Kent Record-Courier observed that there were up to 150 squirrels in the area. No similar concentrations exist in the central and eastern parts of Ohio. Black squirrel are thought to be a color phase of the common gray squirrel family, not a separate species. Both black and gray can be born in one litter, but the black strain seems to be dominant when they interbreed. Black squirrels dislike being crowded by their own kind and the younger ones move away.
Corn is the favorite food of the squirrels.
The Ohio State Division of Wildlife lists them as game animals due to the fact that they taste like chicken. Hibernation is not common as their coats are usually think and glossy and their tails bushy. In addition to acclimatization, they have become accustomed to the heavy traffic of students on the KSU campus. Aggression is one of the characteristics commonly attributed to the squirrels. An annual Black Squirrel Festival is held each fall at KSU featuring performers, black squirrel photo and drawing contests, an organizations fair, crafts displays, and a 4.2 mile Black Squirrel Run.