Penn Vet | News Story detail
Contact
New Bolton Center Kennett Square, PA
Emergencies & Appointments:
610-444-5800
Directions
Ryan Hospital Philadelphia, PA
Emergencies:
215-746-8911
Appointments:
215-746-8387
Directions

 

 

What’s That? Black squirrels

By: Louisa Shepard, Penn Today Date: Jan 15, 2025
A black squirrel on a tree
A black squirrel on College Green in the fall of 2024.

This is …

A common question on campus tours is about uncommon residents, the black squirrels.

They live …

The black squirrels are regularly seen on College Green, scampering between the historic buildings. “We have five black squirrels that live in the trees outside, and we have taken them as our printshop mascots,” says Jessica Peterson, director of the Common Press, located in the Fisher Fine Arts Library building. The Press is holding an open studio event “Black Squirrel Pattern Postcard Printing” on Jan. 17, reprising an original two-color decorative pattern used for a “Black Squirrel Pattern Printing and Button Making” event last spring.

They are cool because

Sarah Tomke, a postdoctoral researcher with the Wildlife Futures Program in the School of Veterinary Medicine on the New Bolton Center campus, is a geneticist and wildlife biologist. One of her projects is to research fox squirrels in the forests of Pennsylvania; they are a reddish-grey hue and a bit larger than the typical grey squirrels common to Philadelphia. 

Read more on Penn Today!


About Penn Vet

Ranked among the top ten veterinary schools worldwide, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is a global leader in veterinary education, research, and clinical care. Founded in 1884, Penn Vet is the first veterinary school developed in association with a medical school. The school is a proud member of the One Health initiative, linking human, animal, and environmental health.

Penn Vet serves a diverse population of animals at its two campuses, which include extensive diagnostic and research laboratories. Ryan Hospital in Philadelphia provides care for dogs, cats, and other domestic/companion animals, handling more than 34,600 patient visits a year. New Bolton Center, Penn Vet’s large-animal hospital on nearly 700 acres in rural Kennett Square, PA, cares for horses and livestock/farm animals. The hospital handles more than 6,200 patient visits a year, while our Field Services have gone out on more than 5,500 farm service calls, treating some 18,700 patients at local farms. In addition, New Bolton Center’s campus includes a swine center, working dairy, and poultry unit that provide valuable research for the agriculture industry.