It will probably lead a basic squirrel life, but it may have a slight advantage at concealment by being able to blend into shadows and shady areas.
It's not a separate species, just a separate color phase within the species.
It's rare here. I'm not sure to what extent it occurs. I've seen pictures of black squirrels and albino squirrels in the state, but those were from around the Fairbanks area. I can't swear to it, but this may be the first black squirrel on the peninsula.
Moose and black bears both have been reported in a variety of color phases.
