# Caught Sleeping! **URL:** \ **Category:** Nature Talk\ **Created:** [February 1, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276 "2026-02-01T17:03:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carmen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/carmen/32/68541_2.png) [@Carmen](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Carmen)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/1 "2026-02-01T17:03:22Z")
Look what I caught this morning sleeping in a tree! šŸ˜ Unfortunately I wasnā€™t able to take a closer pic cause I was already in the neighborā€™s yard šŸ˜† but it was still adorable to see. I also spotted tracks in the snow leading up to its spot. ![IMG_3460](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/a/1/a1426b62d21c772579b46af4c9d0ce2f950cba77.jpeg) ![IMG_3458](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/6/1/6131eed92663a490ba9071edf59e43f74939b78e.jpeg) ![IMG_3471](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/7/e/7e4f6758afbb386ff5695933bf41f1c29118b17c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Vireya](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/vireya/32/10901_2.png) [@Vireya](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Vireya)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:53pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/2 "2026-02-01T19:53:55Z")
So what is it? ---
**Author:** ![Vermfly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/vermfly/32/625_2.png) [@Vermfly](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Vermfly)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/3 "2026-02-01T21:27:57Z")
Looks like a melanistic fox squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![Carmen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/carmen/32/68541_2.png) [@Carmen](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Carmen)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/5 "2026-02-02T01:26:36Z")
Itā€™s not the best pic but itā€™s just a black squirrel ---
**Author:** ![Vireya](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/vireya/32/10901_2.png) [@Vireya](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Vireya)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 1:40am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/6 "2026-02-02T01:40:19Z")
Thanks. Squirrels are not something I would ever see in my part of the world, and I didnā€™t know there were black ones. ---
**Author:** ![AdamWargon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/adamwargon/32/44649_2.png) [@AdamWargon](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/AdamWargon)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 7:58am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/7 "2026-02-02T07:58:50Z")
> [@Vireya](#): > > I didnā€™t know there were black ones Melanistic grey squirrel. Widespread in many areas. There are white ones, too! Not albinos. Leucistic. [https://www.ffa.org/ffa-in-the-usa/where-are-the-white-squirrels](https://www.ffa.org/ffa-in-the-usa/where-are-the-white-squirrels) [https://blog.nature.org/2021/10/11/whats-up-with-white-squirrels-and-black-squirrels/](https://blog.nature.org/2021/10/11/whats-up-with-white-squirrels-and-black-squirrels/) [https://whitesquirrelinstitute.org/white-squirrel-research-institute/what-is-a-white-squirrel](https://whitesquirrelinstitute.org/white-squirrel-research-institute/what-is-a-white-squirrel) ---
**Author:** ![martyndrabik](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/martyndrabik/32/53629_2.png) [@martyndrabik](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/martyndrabik)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 11:50am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/8 "2026-02-02T11:50:53Z")
Both gray and fox can be melanistic. In fact, I read that the specific gene that causes melanism in gray squirrels actually originated in fox squirrels, proving cross breeding in the recent-ish past. Iā€™ll see if I can find the paperā€¦ Here we go! [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6625063/](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6625063/) Supposedly melanistic individuals were more common before Europeans arrived, and then they became easier to find/hunt. They are more common the further north you go into Canada. Here in northern Ohio, they seem to be more and more common every year, as fewer people are hunting squirrels now. ---
**Author:** ![Carmen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/carmen/32/68541_2.png) [@Carmen](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Carmen)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2026, 2:11am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/9 "2026-02-04T02:11:05Z")
Our town has a lot of black squirrels but I havenā€™t really seen them anywhere else either šŸ¤” ---
**Author:** ![nikthecowboy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/nikthecowboy/32/67579_2.png) [@nikthecowboy](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/nikthecowboy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 1:43pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/10 "2026-02-05T13:43:36Z")
not my photo! This belongs to my friend who does not use inat, but I think this photo is too cute not to share! ![7F22155A-65A9-42CD-9F23-E2A0C92D8DD6DSC08974 (1) (1)](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/8/b/8b5854a538df00703e0342f768891ba1d15adb33.jpeg) This is an eastern screech owl who fell asleep my friends yard! ---
**Author:** ![Carmen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/carmen/32/68541_2.png) [@Carmen](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Carmen)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/11 "2026-02-09T21:26:43Z")
That is an awesome picture and the owl looks like it could blend in a tree with its bark-colored feathers šŸŒ³ ā¤ it ---
**Author:** ![exonie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@exonie](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/exonie)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/12 "2026-02-09T22:22:59Z")
btw, thereā€™s an observation field ā€œsleepingā€: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=any&place\_id=any&field:sleeping](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=any&place_id=any&field:sleeping) ---
**Author:** ![AdamWargon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/adamwargon/32/44649_2.png) [@AdamWargon](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/AdamWargon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/13 "2026-02-09T23:42:53Z")
I added some links to my response, in case anyone wants to go down a rabbithole (go down a squirrelhole?) reading about white squirrels ---
**Author:** ![ncb1221](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/ncb1221/32/9877_2.png) [@ncb1221](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/ncb1221)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 2:02am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/14 "2026-02-10T02:02:50Z")
[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/324188736](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/324188736) This is my favorite one Iā€™ve caught sleeping. One of my favorite observations period. ---
**Author:** ![mmorales001](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mmorales001/32/68781_2.png) [@mmorales001](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mmorales001)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/15 "2026-02-11T18:38:30Z")
![ANMP0027](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/1/5/159d865d152c62a43bca88646945ed881c5094b9.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![mkanimallover](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mkanimallover/32/62000_2.png) [@mkanimallover](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mkanimallover)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/16 "2026-02-11T20:18:50Z")
[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/334782648](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/334782648) Hereā€™s mine!! ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/3/c/3c66f464b5fcaac53f6b3255f2d711c36cdd7d22.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Syndra\_Casper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Syndra\_Casper](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/Syndra_Casper)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 5:58am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/17 "2026-02-12T05:58:28Z")
Itā€™s always a treat to catch wildlife with their guard down like this. That last one looks way too comfortable - itā€™s making me want to go take a nap myself! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 5:58am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/caught-sleeping/75276/18 "2026-04-13T05:58:29Z")
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