Squirrels come in many colors. But the white squirrels of Marionville, Missouri, are a puzzler. How did they get that way?

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WHITE SQUIRREL

VOICE-OVER:

NATS town, wind

The 2000 residents of Marionville are proud of their 300 white squirrels.

SOUNDBITE (English)

"Well, it kind of takes your mind away from what's going on in the world. It's good news."

SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop, Marionville Resident

But, no one knows for sure how... or why these furry critters first came here.

One hitched a ride with a traveling circus, so one story goes.

Some here even say it was the result of an experiment by a mad scientist.

Ask a few experts and they'll tell you white squirrels are really common eastern grey squirrels in disguise.

SOUNDBITE (English)

"But we still enjoy them and just to watch them play. They're kind of entertaining."

SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop, Marionville Resident

It seems that the only thing people here can agree upon is that the white squirrel first appeared sometime before the Civil War.

SOUNDUP (English)

"Well as far as I know, when the area was settled they found them here."

SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop, Marionville Resident

Sure they make good tourist attractions but... it's that color-thing that's most puzzling for biologists.

Simply put: white attracts predators.

So much so, you'd think... that natural selection would have done the white squirrel in long ago.

Instead these guys are thriving... thriving in part because the good people of Marionville take special care of these famous residents.

In fact, on the streets and highways of Marionville, the white squirrel has the right of way.

SOUNDBITE (English)

"I was coming down the street one day and here was a squirrel eating an ear of corn right in the middle of the street. He sat there! I had to get out of the car, move his ear of corn before he left so I could come on down."

SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop, Marionville Resident

So are they albinos?

Biologists say no.

You see, albinos' have pink eyes.

Not the Marionville white squirrel… they have black eyes like most squirrels.

So why is the white squirrel white?

Well, that's just the way it is.

SOUNDBITE (English)

"They're just squirrels. They just happen to be white."

SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop, Marionville Resident

And that suits the people of Marionville just fine.