Freak of Nature: The Purple Squirrel
By: April L. Nichols
Tags: Nature, Animals, True Story, Squirrels, Wildlife

Freak of Nature: The Purple Squirrel

Real or Hoax? Or simply, did this squirrel fall into a port a potty? Did it eat something to make it’s fur appear purple suddenly, overtime, or is this a genetic abnormality? I still have no idea. Then there’s this…why is the term “Purple Squirrel” used in business to describe a rare individual that is uniquely suited for a position and set apart from the typical applicant? The term is enduring when used to describe a real person but some say the Purple Squirrel of any company is the ideal employee, the one that every business entity seeks and the applicant people strive to be…so I think in a business sense a Purple Squirrel can definitely be real. Rare, but for real. Not made up. So this then leads me to believe that the origin of this use of the term “purple squirrel” is based on the real purple squirrel scenario. The idea to use this to describe a person may have come from rumors of purple furry squirrels somewhere out there. I know, because I’m one of those people that’s talks of such sightings. They are so very rare, yet real… but if you were to ask the average person if they have seen or believe in a purple colored rodent or have seen the elusive squirrel, 99.9% of people have not seen one… and seeing is believing in this situation. Just check out Thor, the purple squirrel of Jersey Shore and you will see a legitimate example in nature such as one that I speak of. Hes famous. Thor, was trapped and observed by people and still were accused of painting him or dying his fur. Purple squirrels are so unbelievable but more people believe Elvis is still alive or that slenderman is real! So much criticism for Thor amd my backyard visitors, … critics always seem to think the photos are edited or someone put purple paint or dye on the poor creatures… cause that’s what most sane people do in their spare time…paint wild squirrels purple so they can say I saw a purple squirrel? Um. No. Not me. I can think of better things to do with my time and purple paint. Back on April 15th, 2011, I actually spotted two the same time. One darker adult and one lavender juvenile. Yep, i saw two purple squirrels. I can make an educated guess that they were grey squirrels that had grey fur change color. Im very knowledgeable about the lives of grey squirrels quite well actually. I also got to watch the purple ones in my yard over the course of serval weeks that spring, come and go back and forth from my townhouse to my neighbors down the way…so yes I believe. I threw out lots of yummy treats for them… but nothing purple. Once I moved out that following fall, I never saw them again, but the mes tenet did for another year. Also, no one I can find online that have claimed to see one has ever mentioned seeing two at one time. This gives way to new theories…and can toss some of the old ones out the window… it’s a lot more difficult to catch and paint two squirrels, I would assume, or for two squirrels to fall into the same chemical at the same time and turn indigo, purple or violet! I saw the older squirrel one day on the other side of my sliding glass door and I just stood, observed, and took pictures from inches away. I could tell that it was actually purple in the fur by the way the fur looked in its undercoat and individual follicles. I studied ecology, environmental science, chemistry, and surgical technology in college over the course of 6 years. I’ve raised and rescued abandoned baby squirrels for almost 30 years… So I have good authority to believe what I saw and thought to myself , “That’s not fake, the fur is actually growing in purple on these guys, or gals.” Why? Could a specific food source cause this? Well, squirrels are foragers and hoarders… it’s possible these two feasted on the same meals more than once, esp if were mother and child. Maybe the young one was still nursing on mom and she was the one eating lots of purple berries? Maybe. Hmmm… but If this were true they had to ingest this food though the entirety of each of their lives on a regular basis, or mom did and the almost grown juvenile was still purple from nursing..still, or from the past and retaining the color . They looked to be naturally purple and anyone with eyes that saw what I saw, agreed. But since I’ve been putting my photos and information anoit these sightings out there, all I usually hear is the same old and tired reactions. Either disbelief, laughter, or the person that says my eyes must have been tricking me, or some kid must of painted them…. Silly kids, I know you can’t help yourselves but next time you decide to chase down, trap and paint squirrels, could you please document this process since it’s way more unbelievable to me than the truth of the purple squirrel existing. I know this as unbelievable to the majority of inside the box thinkers. But many of those same people will say this is a hoax, but if I was a celebrity, or it was in the media and reported by a news company, those same people would probably have no problem accepting that this is real. They exist! Mother Nature May be the one to blame, or maybe it’s a chemical these critters ingested causing a chemical reaction in their bodies resulting, in a purple coat of fur… whatever it is I’m forever intrigued… and I’m a wildlife rehabber for squirrels since 1994… maybe this was the squirrels way of giving me a unique gift of thanks for all the ones I’ve saved all these years. I like that answer the best. They came here though a purple squirrel portal to my backyard knowingly to show me the future of the squirrel species is thankful for my hard work and wanted me to always remember that I am the squirrel master. I am a huge a believer of Karma. Never have I been bit by any of the 50+ squirrels I’ve saved and never have I ever dyed any squirrels purple, orange or any color.

If you ever see one, enjoy it . It’s just may mean the squirrels are watching and know that you are someone unique and special.. I’ve always said since that day in April, my daughter’s birthday at that, and with my name being April and I’m a saver of squirrels, that when it comes to the case of “The Purple Squirrel”, It Takes One to Know One. Yes indeed.

April L. Nichols