Reader Sarah, a biologist, sent a photograph of a squirrel which, like the palm squirrel we spotted (or didn’t spot) yesterday, looks like a chipmunk but also acts like a chipmunk, for it’s not a denizen of the trees. Behold the golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis). Sarah’s notes:
We were walking down this trail to Bumpass Hell in Lassen National Park and I saw a little ground squirrel, but it had its head down eating, and I usually don’t stop to take pics if people are behind us, but I was like, “I need to get a good one for Jerry.” I said it aloud…and the squirrel turned and looked up as soon as I said it.
Look at that face!
“Who’s that taking my picture while I’m munching?”
Outstanding pictures…
Reblogged this on Shashank Patel.
Sooooo cute!
So…it’s a transitional form? 🙂
That’s a pretty classic portrait. Whatever you did to direct posing, Sarah, you nailed it.
b&
I’ll just stand still until these mammals pass. They can’t see me. I iz hiding.
“what can I say, I grow prudent & cute…” 🙂
All I did was say “Jerry”…maybe the squirrel is a reader and was like, “ooo, I better look good for this one – I’m going to be on the internets!” He was sort of overly tame…because people were feeding him their cheetos and funyuns 🙁
Ugh. Bad enough that people eat that stuff themselves. Worse that they feed it to their kids.
But do they really have to inflict it upon the poor sqrlz?
But, regardless — again, nice job on the portraiture!
b&
Thank you!
Bumpass Hell? Sounds like a good mountain bike trail, lol.
Good looking squirrel.
The name of Prof. Ceiling Cat is well known among squirrels, apparently.
Well, he is their providential god…at least, for a small family in Chicago….
b&
All squirrels far & wide associate Jerry with two things: 1) being their god 2) providing them with expensive noms.
Very lovely squirrel. As a kid while living in CA and NV, my family used to go camping at Mt. Lassen. Wonderful park…I can smell the sulfur/rotten eggs whenever I think of the place. I remember throwing small rocks in the boiling springs and thinking they would melt. Silly kid.
Very cute.