Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Above and Below

Here on the east coast of the US, we have proper squirrels. Which is to say they spend their time up in the trees.



Like this red squirrel. This little guy was one of a pair at Rushton Farm this past Saturday. (We originally thought they were flying squirrels. The folks who were leading the trip were surprised to find red squirrels at the farm.)

Out west the squirrels go about things all wrong, living in holes in the ground!


As with this California ground squirrel, seen here in it's burrow.  What's it think it's a rabbit?

I spotted this fellow, and many others, in Rancho San Antonio county park in San Jose, California. I had to be very patient as this individual was rather skittish. I only had a short lens with me, and I was forced to inch slowly towards the hole. And with each step he'd dive down and I'd have to wait for him to slowly poke out again. Others were not so timid, generally ignoring the crowds at the park.

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Including the chipmunks, there are close to seventy species of squirrel in North America. And most of them are of the ground variety. So I seems my eastern tree climbers are the eccentrics, not those crazy California squirrels.

But squirrels will always be denizens of the trees to me. What are they to you?

1 comment:

Wren nests in... said...

I'm an Easterner: squirrels belong in trees. If it's in the ground, it's a marmot. (Delmarva Fox is in close contention with Flying for best squirrel, by the by.)

You neglected to pay (bribe) the ground squirrel. Might be why you had so much trouble taking its picture. ;o)