Entering into urban lore relatively recently is the purple squirrel phenomenon. And theories abound. The first purple rodent was purportedly spotted in 1997 in Minnesota. The second sighting wasn’t until 2008 when photos of a purple squirrel made the newspapers in England. Then, in 2012 a Pennsylvanian couple trapped a purple squirrel. Before releasing the animal they took several photos of it that gained international internet attention. Many species of animals with silver or gray fur can appear to have a lavender hue under certain lighting conditions and this could account for some purple squirrel sightings, however, it can’t explain the intense purplish shade of the animal photographed in England or the specimen captured in Pennsylvania. Many people dismiss the photos as hoaxes saying the images have been digitally altered or the animals were dyed. But other people believe purple squirrels could actually exist and have offered varying explanations. Some suggest the animals came into contact with discarded ink toner, while others claim a tumble into the reservoir of a porta-potty chemical toilet could have tinged their fur. Another theory proposed their fur became stained while feeding on pokeberries which are used by crafters to produce organic dyes for textiles. There has also been some disconcerting conjecture that their color could be caused by the ingestion of large amounts of bromide, a waste product of the natural gas mining industry. Naturally occurring bromine-like compounds allow some species of sea snails to produce purple secretions, but bromine is not normally found in land mammals. Whatever the case, the actual existence of these squirrels remains unproven, thus earning our little purple friends urban legend status. You now have your Google rabbit hole for the evening. You’re welcome.
