Why Michigan Has So Many Black Squirrels—Blame Kellogg

Why You See Black Squirrels All Over Michigan

If you've ever found yourself wandering the campus of Michigan State University (MSU) or strolling through Battle Creek, you'll notice a higher-than-average population of black squirrels. In that case, you may wonder where all of them came from. In fact, according to an MSU study, Michigan and Ontario have the highest number of sightings of the rodent.

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Although he would become more closely associated with an orange and black tiger, a toucan, and a frog wearing a hat, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg is credited with importing black squirrels into Michigan. What possessed a cereal tycoon to unleash a rodent army?

Dr. Kellogg’s Rodent Rivalry Begins in Battle Creek

Dr. Kellogg wasn't a fan of the pesky red squirrels who were known to chew through buildings and wiring and dominated southern Michigan in 1915, so, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer, he had over 400 of them trapped in Grand Rapids and had them set loose in Cereal City.

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Why black squirrels? Kellogg remembered seeing them frolic in his youth and decided his Sanitarium was the best place to do it. The "imported" squirrels spread out from there, and according to all reports, nearly vanquished their pesky red cousins.

Kellogg Didn’t Invent the Michigan Black Squirrel—But He Did Help

The black squirrel is actually a color variant of the gray squirrel, which has been present in Michigan since the Ice Age. However, their coloring made them an easy target for hunters for years, nearly wiping them out in the Battle Creek area before being repopulated by Kellogg.

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Michigan State University would receive the same treatment in the late '50s and early '60s, according to the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau. So the next time you see a black squirrel on campus, thank the man behind Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, Dig 'Em, and even Snap, Crackle, and Pop.