Albino squirrel- which is more plausible?

Factual Questions
1

I saw an albino squirrel in our yard this spring and have caught sight of him a few times around the neighborhood.
I was then suprised to see him crossing the street in our subdivision about a 1/2 mile from our house. Another time I saw him again about a 1/2 mile from our house but in the opposite direction.
So which is more plausible:

  1. Seeing an albino squirrel is rare, squirrels often roam in areas as large as a mile in radius, you’re seeing the same squirrel.
  2. Squirrels don’t wander that far, albino squirrels aren’t that rare, there’s probably a couple different white squirrels you’re seeing.
2

I don’t have an answer, but perhaps you could ask the folks at the (strange but true) Albino Squirrel Preservation Society.

3

This.

Unusually colored squirrels are quite common in many urban areas, perhaps because there are fewer avian predators. Many cities, such as New York, have a high frequency of black squirrels. Other color varieties are possible, including white or gray with a white tail.

This tablecompiles information on the occurrence of white squirrels in the US. Minneapolis is listed as have them at low density over a wide area. Note that these are probably leucistic squirrels, with dark eyes or some patches of color in the fur, rather than pure white albinos with red eyes.

4

Well, pretty much a toss up. Assuming that squirrels are not monogamous, and that the average litter is four, and that being albino is autosomal recessive then the odds are there are two albino squirrels in close proximity. On the other hand, it seems pretty amazing that that same squirrel crossed in front of you twice.

We had an albino deer around us, and you used to see that sucker everywhere.

5

Saw an albino squirrel in Lebanon Hills Regional Park (Eagan, MN) the previous weekend (8/12).

Recall seeing one on Victory Memorial Drive quite often when I lived up that way 12 years ago.

6

There’s a pretty significant population of albino squirrels in Oberlin, Ohio. And when I looked into it a bit myself, I found references to other such populations sprinkled all around the country.