Black squirrels have been spotted scampering around rooftops in Redbourn.
One visitor to Redbourn saw the darkly-coloured squirrel climbing along a row of garage roofs.
Black squirrels are found in the USA, Canada and the UK. The first official UK sighting of a black squirrel was in Letchworth in 1912.
Tim Hill, conservation manager at the St Albans-based Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, said: “Black squirrels are a melanistic sub-group of grey squirrels which means that the dark pigment in their skin, melanin, is more prevalent.
“Black squirrels are quite rare in Hertfordshire and have historically been confined to the north of the county around Letchworth but have recently been sighted in Harpenden and Redbourn.
“Their numbers are still far lower than the grey squirrels we are more used to seeing in parks and gardens.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here