It’s not a chipmunk with too many stripes! It’s a 13-lined
ground squirrel (Ictidomys
tridecemlineatus) hunkering down next to its burrow entrance. Also known as
“federation squirrels” due to the stars and stripes pattern on their backs, these
ground squirrels spend about half their time underground in their burrow. Some
of their other time is spent hunting for grasshoppers and checking out
newly-planted garden plots. We have a 13-lined ground squirrel near our garden,
and I imagine it’s already plotting which plants it will choose to eat before
we humans get a chance!
No comments:
Post a Comment