High-A Affiliate
The Bowling Green Hot Rods are thrilled to announce the addition of a new alternate identity for the 2026 season, the Bowling Green White Squirrels.
This shines light on the long-time tenants of bushes, trees, and power lines in Bowling Green, the rare white squirrel. First reported in 1939, the cute looking critters have made the Bowling Green area one of their main homes for the past 85 years.
Bowling Green has one of the largest populations of white squirrels in North America, landing in the top 10, posting similar numbers to Washington D.C., Minneapolis, and Downton Boston. Contrary to popular belief, the white squirrel is not albino, which adds to their rarity. The white squirrels you see around the area are a variation of the eastern grey squirrel. This is due to a genetic condition known as leucism, causing “a partial loss of pigmentation in animals, resulting white, pale, or patchy skin, fur, feathers, or scales.”
The legends and myths of the white squirrel run deep through Bowling Green’s history. Many believe that white squirrel sightings bring luck, including Western Kentucky University students claiming it led to increased test scores. Some believe that WKU created the squirrels as an experiment, although the myth only seems to come around April 1.
Despite their color, they are almost always members of the Sciurus carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel) species. They behave exactly like gray squirrels—burying nuts and leaping through trees—just with a flashier "paint job."
Because they are so rare, many cities have passed local laws to protect them. In some places, it is illegal to interfere with a white squirrel, and they are often used as the official town logo.
In the wild, their snowy fur makes them easy targets for hawks and owls because they lack the natural "tree bark" camouflage of their gray and brown cousins.
White squirrels tend to cluster in specific towns where the trait is protected and celebrated. Famous "home bases" include Marion, North Carolina, Olney, Illinois, and Bowling Green, Kentucky.
While some are true albinos (with pink or red eyes), many are actually leucistic. This is a genetic condition that causes a loss of pigmentation in their fur, but leaves them with dark, normal-looking eyes.
As any student of Western Kentucky University will say, it’s good luck to see a white squirrel.
For years, WKU has gone nuts for white squirrels. So much so that merchandise and even a mascot have resulted from the obsession.
The oddity: white squirrels. These creatures have been documented and studied in our area for nearly 100 years and it’s high time their story is told.
Local high school students share photos of white squirrels around the region.
White squirrels are basically local celebrities here in Bowling Green, but does everyone know what makes their fur white?
The Kentucky white squirrel has become an unofficial symbol of the local university, and you can find them scampering all around town.
