What the Walrus said . . .

Photos and Anecdotes from a vagabond!

Chipmunks and Ground Squirrels

I have been hiking fairly heavy for the past three days. My feet are worn out and I have a couple of blisters that are not being friendly. I am still pretty much acclimated to sea level living and the past three days have all been somewhere between 7,000 and 8,500 feet. The sights I have seen have been beyond stunning and unbelievable . . . it’s just trying to stop gasping for air that makes it funny!! Yet, I think I am getting the hang of it all . . . and to help, I took today as a rest and recuperation period. I did my laundry, soaked my feet, read my book while soaking my feet, and as I type this, I am . . . YEP . . . soaking my feet!

Typical of these camps, Sunday is exodus day, the day when everyone heads home so they can be ready for work on Monday. It usually starts early and is done by 11 AM when it is check-out time! So today, by lunch time, I found myself as the only camper in this entire section of the RV Camp. As I sat here contemplating the peace and quiet that surrounded me, I became aware of these furry little lightning bolts running across all of the now empty camp site. It was a horde of ravenous Chipmunks and Ground Squirrels, here to comb every single square inch of the camps for any dropped and neglected and overlooked morsel of food. It was fun watching the antics play out.

If you are unaware of it, Chipmunk ARE NOT the same as Ground Squirrels, who are not the same as there tree living cousins! Chipmunks are the midgets of the family, with ground squirrels being the larger bully of the family. Chipmunks will flee in terror when the Ground Squirrels show up, or the bigger Ground Squirrels will roll over them and steal all of their food. Ground Squirrels are also the lesser intelligent of the squirrels. I watched them today bury food and almost immediately forget where they buried it!! Short attention span issues obviously!!

Attached are a few photos of these cute vermin. The littler Chipmunks are quite adorable, and I found the antics of the Ground Squirrel cute . . . until one kept trying to climb in my lawn chair with me to steal my Teriyaki Meat Stick! When that did not work, I had to keep chasing out of the car where he was trying to find a way into my food locker in the back seat!! Now that the sun is going down, they appear to have disappeared, probably since the coyotes will start roaming soon.

Chipmunk. This is a common pose as they scan the ground for possible tasty morsels.
Ground Squirrels can kind of stand up like their smaller cousins, but they rarely get their rumps clear of the ground. They are just a bit beefier than the littlier Chipmunks.
Chipmunks have narrow, pointed snouts and clearly marked stripes on their backs. Big eyes give them excellent night vision for hunting food in early morning or at dusk.
I tried putting out some water since it was 95 degrees today. Only the Ground Squirrels seemed interested in it.
Chipmunks have one speed, and it is full throttle. They zip from spot to spot, stand up, scan what’s what, then head off again! The only time they sit still is if they are eating.
Ground Squirrels will run . . . but not as fast as their cousins. They are also more apt to look for high ground to scan the local terrain. One thing in common for both Ground Squirrels and Chipmunks is that their noses never stop sniffing and twitching, constantly on the search for food.
Chipmunks, like Ground Squirrels can cram a multitude of food in their mouths. This gives them the ability to carry a lot of groceries home to the family as they zip about using all four feet!
As you can see, Ground Squirrels make the best of the sacks inside their mouths for storing food to take back to the nest! Sometimes it is comical the way their faces bulge from the sheer amount of food they wedge in!
Maybe now that I have taken all of these photos, I will stop with the Chipmunks and ground Squirrels . . . but I doubt it! They are just soon darn cute!!

Tomorrow I am moving through Grand Staircase/Escalante National Park, up to Goblin State Park. Goblin is in the middle of absolutely nowhere, so I will not have any cell or internet service for the next three days. I am hoping to get some night photography in with the hoodoos, but I just noticed I am going to be fighting a full moon. Oh Well! We will see what I find. Until next time . . . be safe and enjoy life!!

majik756

One response to “Chipmunks and Ground Squirrels”

  1. Safe travels and be careful up in those higher elevations……they will take your breath away! Good luck with your night photos😃

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