Looks like black squirrels vary between fox and gray in different pockets/region, The ones I have personally seen in NC and Ohio were greys, but looks like other places like Georgia and Nebraska its fox squirrels. Who knew!
Source and pretty interesting read:
Source and pretty interesting read:
Multiple origins of melanism in two species of North American tree squirrel (Sciurus) - BMC Ecology and Evolution
Background While our understanding of the genetic basis of convergent evolution has improved there are still many uncertainties. Here we investigate the repeated evolution of dark colouration (melanism) in eastern fox squirrels (Sciurus niger; hereafter “fox squirrels”) and eastern gray...
bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com