Rare gene combinations are exposed by inbreeding. Cinnamon-brown and black squirrels are commonly seen in other big Eastern cities, including Philadelphia and Washington, he said. Urban squirrels also tend to be smaller than squirrels in the wild, another result of inbreeding, he added. Years ago, when New York was a wilder place, rare cinnamon- brown and black squirrels would have been more vulnerable to predators because they are conspicuous on grayish tree trunks, Mr. Brash said. Gray-colored squirrels tended to blend in with trunks and branches, which helped them survive.
Most squirrels spend their time running from unleashed dogs and begging for peanuts.
The most unusual animal seen in the city for a long time, Mr. Brash said, was a gray fox, discovered recently in Forest Park in Queens. They are a different species from the red fox, which is often seen in Forest Park and in Van Cortlandt and Pelham Bay parks. The gray fox apparently died shortly before it was found. I never thought I'd see one in New York City.