The Arctic ground squirrel hibernates longer than any other species, for more than eight months of the year-- starting in early August until April. Their heart beats about once per minute and their core temperature becomes subzero.
BBC Earth
Albino squirrels are a rare genetic mutation of the gray squirrel that results in a pure white coat and red eyes:
Appearance: Albino squirrels are completely white with red eyes due to a lack of pigment.
Rarity: Albino squirrels are rare, with a birth chance of only 1 in 100,000.
Vision: Albino squirrels may have impaired vision due to a lack of eye pigment to reduce glare.
Predation: Albino squirrels may be more susceptible to predation.
Other mutations: A different genetic mutation, called leucism, causes squirrels to have a partial loss of pigmentation, affecting their skin and hair but not their eyes.
One these beautiful rare creatures visited my back garden.
The native Red Squirrel is also rare in Scotland now.
More than 75% of the UK's remaining red squirrels are found in Scotland, however there are only about 120,000 remaining in Scotland. Their numbers have fallen drastically in recent decades.