Life as a member of the rodent order must be really tough. Take this little fellow for instance. He would be classified as a ground squirrel, because he lives underground instead of in the trees. There are quite a few different species of ground squirrels in North America but all of them have many of the same problems in life.
The first issue is the large extended family. I had a hard enough time growing up with two sisters and a brother, can you imagine sharing a room with 5 to 13 siblings as well as several other generations all hanging around the house. A bigger issue is the fact that every minute of every day something is trying to eat you. For these squirrels, that I photographed at
Crex Meadows, there are badgers, fox, coyotes, snakes, hawks, owls and more that are all looking to invite them for dinner. But without these guys, and other similar mammals we would not have a world because even though they get no respect they are the base of the worlds food chain.
Life as a member of the rodent order must be really tough. Take this little fellow for instance. He would be classified as a ground squirrel, because he lives underground instead of in the trees. There are quite a few different species of ground squirrels in North America but all of them have many of the same problems in life.
The first issue is the large extended family. I had a hard enough time growing up with two sisters and a brother, can you imagine sharing a room with 5 to 13 siblings as well as several other generations all hanging around the house. A bigger issue is the fact that every minute of every day something is trying to eat you. For these squirrels, that I photographed at Crex Meadows, there are badgers, fox, coyotes, snakes, hawks, owls and more that are all looking to invite them for dinner. But without these guys, and other similar mammals we would not have a world because even though they get no respect they are the base of the worlds food chain.
6 comments:
Yep, lots of other critters are keeping an eye out for ground squirrels so they have to be observant.
I just found your site through critter cam and I love it. Very nice and right up my alley. I'll be following and reading back. Your photos are awesome. Great work!
I have watched a documentary how this critters live.. indeed life is tough down under and above.. but they're picture perfect.
Camera Critters here
A life rife with problems, indeed. Our beautiful Golden Retriever, Lindy, thinks the local Richardson's Ground Squirrel population is fair game for fair doggy damsels.
We adopted her from a rescue society, and knew she had lived 'wild' for an unknown length of time, but never thought that included going into holes after "gophers" as we call them. She scared my husband a few times because he thought she'd be unable to breathe with her head underground, in gopherland.
-- K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
Very cute... I love our gray squirrels, so fun to watch. I fed them nuts this morning in the snow!
They do have quite anxious little faces :)
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