Black and white animal? Looks like a large squirrel or weasel...?

This morning on my way to school, an animal ran out of the woods in front of my car, at first I thought it was a squirrel but as I got closer, I realized it was much larger. It really looked like a giant black and white squirrel.


I live in the Florida Panhandle and i did some research, and it looks like a mongoose or weasel, but I didn't see any of those in colors other than brown. It was just really odd.


It wasn't a fox, cause it looked nothing like a dog or cat.


It definitely was not a skunk or badger (sp?).


literally just looked like a huge squirrel.





I don't know why I'm so curious but I am.


If anyone could guess what it was that would be nice.





Thanks!Black and white animal? Looks like a large squirrel or weasel...?
-- Ermine/stoat: this is a weasel-like animal that changes colour in the fall. In the warmer months it has a dark coat but in the winter it turns white with black tips to blend in with snow. You said it had mixed black and white fur, so if it was an animal undergoing a fall colour change it might have been partway through. They live all over the US but I don't know if the Florida ones change colour at all (since you generally don't even get snow).





-- Wolverine: looks more like a small bear than a giant squirrel. They have dark fur with light fringes and bands that blend at the edges.





-- Porcupine: it's a large rodent, so it's related to squirrels. The quills are dark at the base but lighter on the ends, and it has a soft furry dark undercoat. A small porcupine might look like an absurdly large and clumsy squirrel.





The last link below has thumbnail pictures of most of the mammals in Florida, so you could scroll down until you see something that looks familiar.Black and white animal? Looks like a large squirrel or weasel...?
You can get opossums in Florida. Could it have been one of those?
It's a skunk.