When Connie Emert told her husband she saw a purple squirrel raiding a bird feeder in their Jersey Shore, PA yard last week, he thought she was joking. After all, purple is not a color that occurs commonly in any land species outside of birds. But when he caught the squirrel this week, in a trap he had set in their yard, all doubts were cast aside. The colorful critter was indeed purple and not just a slight shade of purple, it was very purple.
Purple squirrels are not a new discovery. While extremely rare, one was documented in the United Kingdom in 2008 and another one was discovered in 1997. The lingering question is why is the squirrel purple? Theories have ranged from the squirrel falling into a portable toilet or gnawing on old printer toner cartridges which may have been discarded in the trash. To someone dying it or it came in contact with purple paint. The toner cartridge theory was also proposed with the United Kingdom squirrel discovery. Only in that case, there was a toner cartridge disposal warehouse located nearby.
But one theory proposed by Krish Pillai, a professor at Lockhaven University is interesting and links gas drilling and fracking as a possible cause. The specific hue of purple the squirrel has is similar to a color called Tyrian Purple. Tyrian Purple is a rare and once prized color in ancient times which was collected and used to dye clothing. The color was produced by a Mediterranean sea snail which secretes a bromine containing substance to protect its eggs and bromine is the chemical which gives the substance its purple hue.
Bromine is also a common chemical and product of natural gas drilling and fracking. The theory suggests that the squirrel discovered a drinking water source which has been contaminated with Bromine from fracking and over time, the repeated exposure to the Bromine has given the animal its unique color.
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After keeping the squirrel for a few days to show neighbors, the Emert’s released the animal back into the wild on Tuesday. That didn’t stop the critters growing popularity however since the squirrel has gained quite a following this week on Facebook and Twitter. As of noon today, over 3,000 people are now subscribed to receive status updates from Pennsylvania’s newest celebrity. The purple squirrel from Jersey Shore, PA.
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