Squirrel Awareness

Sad News

2011-09-17T20:08:00.003-06:00

The last few weeks have been quite sad. Four weeks ago my 10-year old prairie dog Mancha passed away. Then, 6 days ago my 14-year old flying squirrel Scalisti passed away. Some of you who remember me also remember these two. They're both in the rainbow bridge, joining all the other critters who passed. They are buried next to each other. If I was still living in my old place, Scalisti would have been buried next to his mate Orchid, who he proudly sired babies with. I wish I still had those babies, but all the ones that didn't die found new homes. I loved Scalisti and Mancha both; they were so cute and sweet and they will be missed. The picture tributes were made by a member of The Squirrel Board.

Buddee and Elliebelle get released

2011-02-23T07:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday (2/22/11) I released Buddee and Ellibelle. They are about 6 months old. Buddee came back this morning (2/23) into the cage he was raised in.

Former Co-worker Apologizes for Insulting Baby Squirrels

2011-02-07T02:21:00.003-06:00

Shortly after I got the baby squirrels Buddee and Elliebelle in October or November, I decided to show off pictures of them at work. Some people told me how cute they are, but one lady acted as if I was showing her a dead spider. This really insulted me. The ignorance some people have regarding rodents in general is appalling. Even though it was several months ago, I finally decided to call her at work to ask her for an apology. I couldn't confront her in person because I had transferred to a new job location. She said, "If I said anything I didn't mean anything by it." Then she hung up. Not sure if she was sincere or not.

I still have the two, and they have grown.

Adsense

2010-12-26T08:13:00.002-06:00

I've decided to put adsense on my blog to see if I'd get anything out of it. Right now, there appears to be links to squirrel exclusion/removal websites, which is certainly not what this blog is about. I guess the adbots or whatever look for certain keywords. As long as they are not links to lethal control of squirrels, I don't have a problem. However, I would like some input on this.

An Interview & Updates

2010-12-02T23:27:00.002-06:00

I just got interviewed about this blog yesterday afternoon by a local radio station (KERA). I wasn't quite prepared, but I did my best in the interview, answering various questions regarding squirrels.

At the moment, the two squirrels I'm raising, Buddee and Elliebelle, are very happy and healthy. They are quite a handful, and I plan on releasing them in my backyard in the spring.

Baby squirrels

2010-10-23T10:17:00.004-06:00

It's been a year since my last post, but now I'm raising two baby squirrels; a male and a female. These came to me on October 4 from the grounds of the Dallas Zoo. I've been raising them on puppy milk.

Here's a video of them:

Pecans are Ripening

2009-10-07T03:54:00.003-06:00

I'll be collecting pecans around my neighborhood for the squirrels.

First post of the year

2009-05-10T11:06:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in so.... long. But I am still active in the squirrel community, sorta. I recently re-joined The Squirrel Lover's Club after the new president of the club set it up. I'll try to make this blog more active by occasionally posting squirrel-related news articles.

A Chicago Sun-Times article from: scalisti@yahoo.com

2009-05-10T11:04:00.001-06:00

The following article from the Chicago Sun-Times has been forwarded to you by scalisti@yahoo.com

If you wish to stop receiving these articles, please contact the sender.

Comments from the sender:
Testing to see if direct email posting works...

To read the full story, click here:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1558743,w-squirrel-count-notebaert-museum050509.article

Squirrels at the Zoo

2008-10-17T19:38:00.005-06:00

I have been volunteering at the local zoo since July, working mostly with monkeys. At the zoo is a good population of fox squirrels. Some of them are tame, but I haven't had any come to me for handouts yet. I have attached a video featuring one of these squirrels (and lazy tapirs).

Defending Squirrels Rationally

2008-10-08T06:28:00.003-06:00

I want to start off by saying that I accidentally rejected some comments that were posted. There was one post about cooking squirrels that I was trying to delete, but I accidentally deleted all of the ones I selected thinking I was only deleting that one post. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Anyways, I wanted to talk about how I noticed that most of us squirrel enthusiasts are very compassionate people, but we tend to use emotions to defend our little friends. Emotions are part of what makes us human. However, I believe it is also possible to defend squirrels with logic and rationality, in addition to emotion.

When scientists study squirrels in the wild, they appreciate the roles squirrels play in the ecosystem. The more knowledge that is obtained about squirrels, the greater our appreciation of them becomes.

The squirrel haters claim that they have logical reasons to hate squirrels. They also claim that squirrel lovers "feel" too much. The main problem with their arguments is that they become cold and relentless with their reasoning, which robs them of their humanity. While it is okay to show emotions, and perhaps use only emotion, to care for small creatures. But adding sound reasoning skills will improve our ability to confront the squirrel haters who assume that all we do is feel and not think. I believe a good balance between logic and emotion is necessary.

Long Time, no Post

2008-09-07T19:29:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in quite some time. But that doesn't mean I lost interest in squirrels. I was just busy with other things. Squirrels do occasionally come to my feeder, but I haven't seen any in a while.

I have been spying (but not posting) on an anti-squirrel message board, and they are constantly bragging about their anti-squirrel criminal behavior. Some brag about how they love to kill during the breeding season when babies are vulnerable, and the same one was making false claims about death threats from "huggers" (that's us.) Another one has been reported by his neighbor to the police, alleging that the police reports against him are false. Some of them use a cruel device called a Tube Trap, which I have only recently learned exists. Being a squirrel enthusiast for over 12 years, you would think I would have known about such a trap. I believe it has been hidden from the public because of it's illegality, although some websites sell the trap. I will only post a link to the message board upon request, because it is quite disturbing.

Squirrels are Finally Here!

2008-05-20T11:44:00.001-06:00

I finally got to attract some squirrel visitors to the measly little redbud tree in my backyard. At least one squirrel is eating on a corn cob squirrel feeder.

Earth Day

2008-04-22T05:46:00.004-06:00

Well, I haven't been active lately; there just wasn't enough squirrels around. I managed to get some pictures of the trees I planted. Right now, they're too small to attract much wildlife. Hopefully they will quickly grow to a size that squirrels won't ignore. The last one is a redbud that was always there; I didn't plant it.

(The images might not be posted due to upload errors.)

Two more trees

2008-03-15T02:16:00.002-06:00

Last week I bought two more trees: a Texas Ash and another Pecan. These trees are part of a project I'm working on in my backyard to create a backyard wildlife habitat. Unfortunately, I misplaced my camera, so I don't have any pictures at the moment.

First Anniversary

2008-03-02T00:52:00.002-06:00

Yesterday marks the first anniversary of this blog. It also happens to be my birthday. No, nobody gave me this blog as a birthday present last year. It's just a coincidence that I happened to start it on my birthday.

Anyways, I noticed some more squirrel activity lately. They are getting ready for the spring breeding season.

Pecan Tree

2008-02-14T12:13:00.002-06:00

A couple days ago, I bought a young pecan tree and planted it in my backyard. Hopefully someday it will produce succulent pecans for the squirrels. If not, at least I did my part in helping the environment by planting a tree.

Groundhog Day

2008-02-02T01:23:00.000-06:00

Today is a special day for a special type of squirrel. Groundhogs (Marmota monax) are one of the largest members of the squirrel family. They're found mainly in the Eastern US and Canada. They are both loved and hated wherever they can be found. I prefer to love them.

Prairie dogs also get special recognition on this day. Groups who defend prairie dogs, such as RMAD, support these critters. Check out Prairie Dog Day. Prairie dogs need protection from evil people such as shooters or poisoners.

Feeding Efforts

2008-01-27T07:06:00.000-06:00

Recently, I put squirrel corn cobs on my existing feeder in the backyard, and got a new spiral squirrel feeder designed for holding corn cobs. They are hanging on my redbud bush (which is growing), in hopes of attracting squirrels. They are still very rare visitors (once every several months) but hopefully my lack of tall trees won't dissuade them for much longer.

First Post of the Year...

2008-01-21T00:55:00.000-06:00

First I'd like to thank all the wildlife rehabbers who raise baby squirrels. The season for babies is soon to begin.

For several months, I had been discouraged because I haven't seen a squirrel in courtyard at church since late spring. But finally, there was one drinking water from the icy fountain in the center.

Donations to Squirrel Charities

2007-12-26T01:40:00.000-06:00

The pecans I've collected over the months have been going to people who feed squirrels. I still have a large box left, which I intend on sending to a Squirrel Rescue center in Florida. It will be a special Christmas present for the furry little ones, however a little late. The rescue center, Lovely Lita's Sheltering Tree Foundation, has been recognized in the Nov/December issue of In A Nutshell, which is the bi-monthly The Squirrel Lover's Club newsletter. Lovely Lita's depends on donations.

Squirrel Awareness Tip #7

2007-12-18T04:27:00.000-06:00

It's been quite a while since I've posted Squirrel Awareness Tips...

This is an important one... It would be very generous to donate to a local wildlife rehabilitation center that helps injured or orphaned baby squirrels. Most of the hard-working wildlife rehabilitators are non-profit, and accept donations. Here is a site that lists squirrel rehabbers by state: Squirrel Wildlife Rehab.

Pecans Still Abound

2007-12-07T13:15:00.000-06:00

It's December already, and I still see pecans everywhere! I stopped collecting them a month ago, but perhaps I should have continued. I recently saw squirrels busily collecting them at Lakeside Park in Duncanville.

New Puppy

2007-11-19T22:06:00.000-06:00

This isn't entirely squirrel-related, but I got a new puppy 2 days ago. She's an AKC registered, pure-bred collie named Tasha. I will try my best to train her to love squirrels, and not in a culinary sense. I hope for her to be a very squirrel-friendly dog. As a herding breed, collies are known to get along very well with animals that would otherwise be considered prey.

Scalisti is 11

2007-11-15T11:48:00.000-06:00

My first squirrel, Scalisti, turned 11 years old today. He is the oldest of my five flying squirrels. Though he is elderly, he still looks quite young, and he's healthy and active. He may even become a daddy again this coming spring... we'll see. His current mate, Orchid, is larger than him but younger.

Sad News

2007-11-13T21:47:00.000-06:00

It is with much grief that I post this. Simon, my chipmunk who I had for only four months, has passed away from an unknown illness. I will do everything I can to figure out exactly what happened in order to prevent it from happening to any of my other animals.

Top 10 Countries (Tree Squirrels Only)

2007-11-10T12:41:00.000-06:00

Below is a video I made of the top 10 countries with the most tree squirrel species. Unlike the last video I showed, this one only addresses the basic non-gliding, tree-dwelling squirrel forms. Contains music, and there is a special message at the end.

If video doesn't work, click here: Top 10 Countries

Flying Squirrel Breeding

2007-11-07T14:25:00.000-06:00

My flying squirrels used to be able to breed, but they stopped a couple years ago and all the babies are long gone. I want to do everything I can to help them breed again, so that Scalisti (my oldest) can have a son as an heir before he passes away. Last year, I bought a larger cage and put vitamins in their water to see if that would work, but with no luck. That large cage is currently home to Sunda, and the flying squirrels have since moved back to their original medium-sized cage.

Since using that big cage didn't work, I am using a different method. If there are fewer flying squirrels per cage, breeding success may be increased. So, Scalisti and Orchid will be together in the medium cage, while Caramel, Nibbles and Rakita are in a smaller one. Hopefully this will allow Scalisti and Orchid to be like "hey, there's more room here now. So let's have babies!" They will also be given vitamins, including, and most importantly, extra calcium.

This is Orchid, my 9-year-old female and most experienced mother.

Selling the Pecans

2007-11-06T23:23:00.001-06:00

I have buyers for the pecans now, and they will be shipped out soon to people feeding squirrels. There aren't usually any squirrels around where I live anyway, but that will hopefully change as I'm gradually altering the landscape of my backyard. In the mean time, I enjoy my 10 pet squirrels, who represent 5 species.

Many Pecans is a Good Thing

2007-10-28T22:42:00.000-06:00

I have collected so many pecans, I've filled two large boxes. Now, I'd like to sell some. Please click the link below if you are interested in obtaining a five pound bag of pecans from Texas.

Five Pound Bag of North Texas Pecans

Too Many Pecans?

2007-10-23T19:41:00.000-06:00

I've been collecting pecans around my metroplex region, especially the SMU campus, all day long now. I now have so many I see pecans when I close my eyes. I suppose it's possible to have too much of a good thing. These nuts are going to be shipped to people who feed squirrels.

Pecan Season

2007-10-13T19:35:00.001-06:00

With pecan season underway, I am trying to find time to gather as much pecans as I can for my backyard buddies. I don't get that many visitors, due to the lack of mature trees in my backyard. However, my neighbors on both sides have trees, and squirrels do occasionally go there. Today, I collected lots of small pecans from land owned by a guy from my church. This should increase the chances of furry visitors foraging in my yard.

Top 10 Countries

2007-10-07T01:51:00.000-06:00

The video below will guide you through the top 10 countries with the most species of squirrels, counting down from the 10th. The music clips represent a sample of each of these countries' music.

Squirrel Awareness Month

2007-10-02T13:01:00.001-06:00

It is October now, and that means it's Squirrel Awareness Month. Most of the nut harvesting by squirrels in the northern hemisphere occurs in October. Here in Texas, where it is very hot, October is the month that ends summer and begins fall. I haven't seen much squirrel activity in the past few months, but hopefully things will change this month. I will be travelling around the area to places where squirrels abound, to watch them. To celebrate October as Squirrel Awareness Month, I put up a squirrel feeder in my backyard and filled it with nuts, now that my redbud tree finally grew big enough. Updates will be posted.

Sunda's New Box

2007-09-30T06:59:00.000-06:00

My Prevost squirrel Sunda's old plastic box wore out, so I got her a new wooden one. She moved too fast for me to take pictures of her enjoying it, but she likes it just fine. I gave her some hand towels to use as bedding, which she immediately took to the new box.

YouTube Video

2007-09-12T16:03:00.000-06:00

I just uploaded my first video on YouTube. The ending features my ground squirrel Fenwick. Before playing video, I recommend pausing Tingstad & Rumbel (to the right of this page) if you don't want to hear two nice songs simultaneously.

Least Chipmunks

2007-09-04T19:08:00.000-06:00

Least chipmunks, being small and quick, are difficult to photograph. They are North America's smallest squirrels.

Red Squirrels

2007-09-04T19:02:00.000-06:00

The most common mammals at the Weminuche Wilderness were red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) and least chipmunks (Tamias minimus). The red squirrels were more often heard than seen; they have a twittering call. The ones near Squaw Lake were the most photogenic.

Here are pics of some red squirrels I proudly photographed...

Weminuche Wilderness

2007-09-04T18:50:00.000-06:00

I just returned from an exciting trip to the beautiful Weminuche Wilderness, which is part of the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado. I have seen many wildlife: red squirrels, least chipmunks, golden-mantled ground squirrels, deer, and a porcupine. Outside of the wilderness, looking outside the bus that got me there, I saw prairie dogs, marmots, and pronghorn antelopes. I managed to take pictures of red squirrels and least chipmunks which I will post shortly. Below are pictures I've taken of the wilderness.

Weminuche Trip

2007-08-24T23:01:00.000-06:00

I won't try to get myself bothered by squirrel haters any longer. Instead, it would be better for me to persue peace, beauty, and harmony. Which is partially why I signed up for a trip with the Sierra Club to the Colorado Rockies; more specifically the Weminuche Wilderness. I will be leaving by bus to go there next Thursday. I look forward to being surrounded by the pristine beauty of God's creation. I love to hike. I don't get tired after several miles, in fact, I'm kind of disappointed with the White Rock Creek trail in Dallas, which was "only" seven miles long. Needless to say I was looking for more trail after it ended. At Weminuche, I am looking forward to hiking for dozens of miles a day. I'm also longing to see and photograph squirrels I know about but never seen before. To see a list of squirrel species found in the Colorado Rockies, please refer to the archives of June 9 and 10.

The Sierra Club Website
Weminuche Wilderness Website

Squirrel Haters

2007-08-23T22:51:00.001-06:00

Okay, here's another rant about squirrel hater/killers. It's not my favorite thing to talk about, but here goes. I try my best to talk sense into them about squirrels, but they still think they're vermin. Perhaps I shouldn't be angry at these people, but rather, feel sorry for them. Not just for whatever squirrel problems they may be going through, but also because they don't seem to have that ability to see the good things in squirrels. It's as if they're in a muddy pit of hatred and bloodlust; and they don't know how to, or are simply unwilling to, swim to the shore of truth and beauty.

Roy Orr Trail

2007-08-22T00:13:00.000-06:00

I decided to go to Roy Orr trail for a couple of reasons. To test my new Fujifilm camera on the squirrels, and to attempt to collect pecan tree seedlings for my yard. It was uneventful, because it is not really the right time of year to do either of these things. For one, I was only able to get a couple of pictures of squirrels, and they came out too blurry. I never got the chance to test other modes on the camera because there wasn't enough squirrels. The other problem was, the soil was much too hard and dry to dig up pecan seedlings without destroying the roots. So I went back home empty-handed. :-(

Perhaps I'll have better luck next time!

On a bit of side humor, I don't think this trail was named by someone named Roy Orr. After the trail was completed, some people were disputing about what to call it, until a dog came along and barked, "Royorrrrr".

White Rock Lake Squirrels

2007-08-06T17:56:00.000-06:00

Today I rode my bike on the White Rock Lake trail in Dallas, which is 9 miles long and circumnavigates the lake. I only saw 4 squirrels, which is expected because squirrels aren't very active in the summer. Attached is a picture of the lake. Ducks, which are intellectually inferior to squirrels, are quite common. I tried to get pictures of a squirrel here, but my camera is a piece of junk with an extremely long shutter delay. I promise to get a new camera soon. Right now, I am typing this with one hand because the other hand is playing with my prairie dog Mancha.

Fort Worth Nature Center

2007-07-23T20:51:00.000-06:00

It seems that I've developed a new routine going places every Monday. Well, today, I went to the Fort Worth Nature Center. It was the first time I've seen wild prairie dogs in their natural habitat. The pictures didn't come out as great as I hoped, because they were too far away. There are also fox squirrels at this nature center; as I've briefly seen one and heard another making an alarm call. Prairie dogs also have several alarm calls for different purposes, and though a close cousin, have a more complex system of communication than squirrels.

New Chipmunk

2007-07-16T20:02:00.000-06:00

After the hike on White Rock Creek trail, I decided to go to a pet store to see what I can get for my current critters. While I was there, I saw this lone Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), so I couldn't resist but buy him. His name is Simon; named after one of the 3 Chipmunks (you know, Alvin, Simon, Theodore). My ex-girlfriend would be pleased that I named him that; as her last name is Simons. Here's his best pic so far:

White Rock Creek Squirrels

2007-07-16T19:52:00.000-06:00

I went hiking at a popular park in Dallas, known as White Rock Lake. I hiked on the creek trail, but not the lake trail. There were lots of pecan, oak, and other wildlife-friendly trees, a true haven for squirrels. It was seven miles long, and I saw a total of seven squirrels. There would be much more if it wasn't summer. I really can't wait for October (that's Squirrel Awareness month!) Anyway, here are pics of a doe and a buck I encountered today. Believe it or not, they do smile for the pictures, and here's the proof (at least the buck did):

SMU Squirrels

2007-07-09T19:09:00.001-06:00

When going to the scene of the bizarre dead squirrel display, I didn't really find much. I wasn't really expecting anything; but I went anyway because it was worth a shot. I asked residents who lived near the alley if they knew anything about it, and showed them the article, but they didn't know anything like this ever even happened. I did notice a strange odor (like rotten meat) near one of the alleys, but it could have been anything.

Across the main road, Hillcrest, was Southern Methodist University (SMU). I decided to take a look at the squirrels over there. Sadly, I saw a dead doe on the sidewalk there, perhaps a victim of an internal parasite. There was no sign of blood or predation. Other than that, SMU has a pretty good population of fox squirrels; I saw at least 20. I managed to get some pictures of these squirrels. Below is the only picture that came out okay.

Will Investigate

2007-07-07T14:33:00.000-06:00

I believe the possible suspects in the December 2005 nailed squirrel case go by the nicknames "Snake" and "Wolf" and are, or were, Dallas residents. These two were fanatical cyberbullies who verbally and emotionally harrassed members of a Yahoo group, SquirrelLovers, and created a blog called Varmit Poontang. This blog contained graphic pictures of dead squirrels used to intimidate and anger people who love squirrels. The three nailed squirrels were probably part of a photographic demonstration. I am certain it was much more than 3 squirrels that were killed. Yahoo and Flickr, hosts of these images, deleted them, and the Varmit Poontang blog was taken down. That is bittersweet, because nobody wants to see those images, but they could have been used as evidence. The only evidence left are the harrassing comments in the archives of the SquirrelLovers Yahoo group.

I am going to be visiting the scene of the squirrel massacre. I will be at the 3400 block of University Blvd in Dallas on Monday, July 9, to see if I find anything unusual or suspicious. Even though this happened almost 20 months ago, it is still worth a look. It is sad that the police aren't sure if a crime was even committed... well, of course a crime was committed! And I'm going over there to solve it.

The following are, or should be, considered criminal activity in this case:

Hunting within city limits
Discharging a firearm in a residential neighborhood
Verbal and emotional harrassment via Internet media
Intimidating and angering people by using dead animals as props
Animal cruelty (if squirrels were still alive during the nailing)
Drug use (anyone involved in the above is obviously on drugs)

Squirrel Cruelty Case in Dallas (Dec. 2005)

2007-07-02T22:24:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure why I haven't heard about this when it happened, but back in December of 2005, a disturbing case of squirrel cruelty happened in Dallas. Here is link to that case:

3 squirrels nailed to fence,
Dallas, TX (US)

I believe the possible suspects are "Snake" and "Wolf", the anti-squirrel fanatics who verbally and emotionally harrassed members of the Yahoo group SquirrelLovers, and created the ill-fated Varmit Poontang blog. Their real names are uncertain, but they sometimes went by Brad and Jarrod, respectively, on the Yahoo group. The harrassing comments they made happened between October 2005 and January 2006. Their "Varmit Poontang" blog was active between November 2005 and June 2006. After that time, fortunately, these two seemed to disappear. Hopefully it is because they have been arrested (perhaps for other crimes) and are rotting in prison already. My suspicion that "Snake" and "Wolf" are the suspects in this crime stem from the fact that the incident took place during the peak of their harrassing and blogging, which also took place in Dallas. Could be a coincidence, but any additional information on this case or on these two individuals would be much appreciated.

Trip Cancelled; New Trip Planned

2007-06-19T00:41:00.000-06:00

Due to an injury, I cannot go to the Sangre de Cristos this year. As I said in a previous blog about this trip, "if all goes well...". However, another Colorado trip is coming up in 2 months. It is to the Weminuche Wilderness, which is west of the Sangre mountains. I'm sure I can go to that unless I get another injury or something else happens. More is yet to be announced about the Weminuche Wilderness.

Species Postings

2007-06-10T08:15:00.000-06:00

Well, that will be it for the squirrel species postings. The 10 squirrel fact sheets represent the 10 species of squirrel that can be found in Sangre de Cristo mountains in south central Colorado. That's where I plan on backpacking with the Sierra Club in less than 3 weeks.

Rock Squirrel

2007-06-10T07:59:00.000-06:00

Common name: Rock Squirrel
Scientific name: Spermophilus variegatus
Often mistaken for: Gophers, Prairie Dogs, Tree Squirrels
Size: 17-21 in (43-53 cm); 21-28 oz (600-790 g)
Habitat: rocky areas, canyons, cliffs, slopes
Range: southern Nevada, Utah, and Colorado to Mexico
Photo courtesy: Firefly Forest

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

2007-06-10T07:49:00.000-06:00

Common name: Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Scientific name: Spermophilus tridecemlineatus
Often mistaken for: Chipmunks, Gophers
Size: 6.75-12 in (17-30 cm); 3.8-9.5 oz (110-270 g)
Habitat: shortgrass prairie, fields, shrublands
Range: central Alberta to northern New Mexico, southern Texas, and Indiana
Photo courtesy: M. D. Carleton

Gunnison's Prairie Dog

2007-06-10T07:38:00.000-06:00

Common name: Gunnison's Prairie Dog
Scientific name: Cynomys gunnisoni
Often mistaken for: Other Prairie Dog species, Ground Squirrels, Gophers
Size: 12-15 in (30-38 cm); 23-42 oz (650-1190 g)
Habitat: high altitude shortgrass prairies
Range: central Arizona to central Colorado
Photo courtesy: Lisa Lynch

Colorado Chipmunk

2007-06-10T07:27:00.001-06:00

Common name: Colorado Chipmunk
Scientific name: Tamias quadrivittatus
Often mistaken for: Uinta, Least, and Hopi Chipmunk; Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Size: 8.25-9.5 in (21-24 cm); 2-3 oz (57-85 g)
Habitat: scrub, tundra, coniferous forests, and various other habitats
Range: Colorado, eastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northern New Mexico
Photo courtesy: Michael Seraphin, Colorado Division of Wildlife

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

2007-06-10T07:13:00.000-06:00

Common name: Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Scientific name: Cynomys ludovicianus
Often mistaken for: Ground Squirrels, Gophers, Marmots, Meerkats
Size: 14-16 in (36-41 cm); 32-48 oz (910-1360 g)
Habitat: shortgrass prairies
Range: Montana to northern Mexico and central Texas
Photo courtesy: San Francisco Zoo

Yellow-bellied Marmot

2007-06-09T22:54:00.000-06:00

Common name: Yellow-bellied Marmot
Scientific name: Marmota flaviventris
Often mistaken for: Hoary Marmot, Woodchuck, Prairie Dog
Size: 19-28 in (48-71 cm); 5-10 lbs (2.3-4.5 kg)
Habitat: valleys, rolling hills, rocky areas
Range: central British Columbia to southern California and northern New Mexico
Photo courtesy: Mike Dunn

Abert's Squirrel

2007-06-09T22:34:00.000-06:00

Common name: Abert's Squirrel, Tassel-eared Squirrel
Scientific name: Sciurus aberti
Often mistaken for: Gray Squirrel, Fox Squirrel, Rock Squirrel
Size: 18-23 in (46-58 cm); 24-32 oz (680-910 g)
Habitat: Ponderosa pine forests
Range: northern Arizona, northwestern and central New Mexico, western and central Colorado
Photo courtesy: Clipart.com

Least Chipmunk

2007-06-09T22:21:00.000-06:00

Common name: Least Chipmunk
Scientific name: Tamias minimus
Often mistaken for: All other chipmunk species; Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Size: 6.6-9 in (17-23 cm); 1-1.75 oz (28-50 g)
Habitat: brushlands, rocky areas, forests
Range: Yukon to Quebec, California, and New Mexico
Photo courtesy: Phil Armitage

American Red Squirrel

2007-06-09T21:26:00.000-06:00

Common name: American Red Squirrel
Scientific name: Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Often mistaken for: Douglas Squirrels, Gray Squirrels, Fox Squirrels, European Red Squirrels
Size: 11-15 in (28-38 cm); 5-8.8 oz (140-250 g)
Habitat: most forests, city parks, valleys
Range: Alaska to New Mexico; Vancouver island to Maine and the Appalachians
Photo courtesy: Franco Folini

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

2007-06-09T21:03:00.000-06:00

Common name: Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Scientific name: Spermophilus lateralis
Often mistaken for: Chipmunks, gophers
Size: 9-12 in (23-30 cm); 6-9.75 oz (170-280g)
Habitat: mixed and coniferous forests, rocky slopes, open shrubland
Range: southeastern British Columbia to Arizona & New Mexico; northern California to central Colorado
Photo courtesy: Robert Harrington

Planned Backpacking Trip

2007-06-09T17:30:00.000-06:00

In a few weeks, if all goes well, I'm going on a backpacking trip with the Sierra Club. The trip is to the Sangre de Cristo mountains in south central Colorado. There are at least 10 species of squirrels in that area, so I am really looking forward to it. The trip is not just for wildlife observation, but also to test my skills in rough terrain in the rugged outdoors. Soon I will be posting information about the 10 species of squirrel found in those mountains, one at a time and at random.

Exxpose Exxon Protest

2007-05-31T09:18:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I've attended a protest outside a building where Exxon shareholders meet once a year. Over 30 others were there. It was to spread environmental awareness in hopes that Exxon would change their policies and become more environmentally friendly. Environmental awareness helps squirrels and other wildlife, at least indirectly.

Click Here to see a video of the protest. I can be seen for a brief second in the background in timestamp 1:09.

Mother Squirrels

2007-05-16T23:06:00.000-06:00

Mother's day was a just few days ago, and it made me think of how special and important mothers are. Unfortunately, many people forget about mothers in the animal kingdom. Once or twice a year, depending on the species, squirrels have babies seasonally. It is always a joy to see new life seeing the world for the first time, whether a human baby, a baby squirrel, or other baby animal. Squirrels can be excellent mothers.

Call me a Bambi-ist, but I believe that one of the worst tragedies in nature is when a mother animal is killed, leaving her babies helpless, hopeless orphans. Sadly, some states and counties (namely several Texas counties) have no seasonal limits on squirrel hunting. This opens the doors to irresponsible and reckless hunting. Hopefully there are enough wildlife rehabilitators to rescue orphaned baby squirrels whose mothers have been slaughtered by heartless rednecks. I have created an online petition to stop this year-round hunting, but unfortunately people on BOTH sides of the issue took it out of context, and I have no way of editing it. My intention is not to ban hunting altogether, but to protect mother animals during their nursing season.

Texas Squirrels

2007-05-08T23:17:00.000-06:00

There are 10 species of squirrel in Texas. Only 3, however, are found in the DFW area: fox squirrel, Southern flying squirrel, and Thirteen-lined ground squirrel. Only the first of these is commonly seen. The gray squirrel is found further east, because they like pines. There are hardly any pines in the DFW area, and fox squirrels are more tolerant of pine-free areas than gray squirrels. Last weekend I took a trip to a Christian camp aptly called Pine Cove near Tyler, TX, and saw a couple gray squirrels. Though this encounter may seem rather unfascinating to many, it was exciting for me because I haven't seen a gray squirrel in over 3 years.

Squirrel Awareness Tip #6

2007-04-25T18:55:00.000-06:00

Plant a tree. Especially with Arbor Day around the corner, it would be a very good thing to do for our planet. No matter how long it takes for squirrels to begin using the tree you plant, it would be worth it. Trees favored by squirrels include, but are not limited to: Oak, Beech, Elm, Maple, Pecan, Spruce, and Pine.

Squirrel Awareness Tip #5

2007-04-07T10:14:00.000-06:00

Take a hike! Just like what I did last Thursday. Watch squirrels wherever they can be found, and observe their behaviors. This activity is very relaxing, and is excellent for stress relief.

Squirrel Hiking on the Roy Orr Trail

2007-04-05T20:55:00.000-06:00

Hiking boots? Check. Squirrel-themed scout shirt? Check. Binoculars? Check. Digital Camera? Check. Bug repellant? Check. Ball cap with squirrel embroidery patches? Check.

While I probably didn't need all that to watch squirrels, you get the picture. Earlier today, in the morning, I hiked on a trail called Roy Orr Trail in Desoto TX. I saw at least 8 squirrels.

I've observed many different behaviors, such as foraging in trees, foraging on the ground, resting, eating, persuing and being persued by other squirrels, etc. One buck seemed to be persuing a doe about twice his size. The last squirrel I saw was a doe who sat calmly on a tree branch next to a nest which looked too small to be a squirrel nest. She stayed still for some pictures. I used my binoculars as an extra zoom for the camera, though that did not result in perfect pictures.

Terminology

2007-04-01T22:40:00.000-06:00

For now on, when talking about male and female squirrels, I will be calling them bucks and does respectively. Unless I am referring to an occasional deer or rabbit sighting, these terms will be used specifically for squirrels.

Earlier today, I saw a buck in my church's inner courtyard. He was eating grass, possibly to obtain nutrients he can't otherwise get from acorns.

Squirrel Awareness Tip #4

2007-03-24T10:55:00.000-06:00

If you are in a public place, such as a restaurant, a church, or anywhere else that may have people talking, you may sometimes inadvertedly eavesdrop on a conversation about squirrels. If the people talking like squirrels, don't be afraid to join in the conversation. On the other hand, if they are talking about hunting or hating squirrels, don't be afraid to speak your mind. But be polite, and tell them about why you like squirrels. Now, I'm no expert on starting conversations with strangers, but this is one way to boost squirrel awareness.

Squirrel Awareness Tip #3

2007-03-09T10:26:00.000-06:00

I would encourage joining environmental or wildlife groups, such as Sierra Club or Defenders of Wildlife. When donating, please indicate to them that you are especially interested in helping squirrels. Backyard and park squirrels are far from endangered, so you might want to be more specific. For instance, state a particular species of squirrel you want to save. Here is a list of some endangered squirrels:

Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus)
Delmarva fox squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus)
Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis)
Idaho ground squirrel (Spermophilus brunneus)
Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens)

Squirrel Awareness Tip #2

2007-03-04T23:53:00.000-06:00

When going out in public, wear a squirrel-themed t-shirt or other clothing. People need to know that there exists those like us who enjoy watching squirrels.

Squirrel Awareness Tip #1

2007-03-03T00:29:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you might go shopping for squirrel supplies, and go to a store that doesn't carry a certain item for squirrels. For instance, some Wal-Mart stores sell squirrel feeders, while others do not. I strongly encourage politely speaking with a manager of one of those stores about stocking the item, even if you don't normally shop at that store. If a new squirrel item is stocked at a store where it previously wasn't available, it will help other customers become more squirrel-aware by buying the item.

And that's my squirrel awareness tip for now. My Squirrel Awareness tips will be numerical, instead of "Tip of the Day" or "Tip of the Week," because you may never know when I'll come up with a new tip. I will be posting others later. So please stay tuned!

Prairie Dogs Continuously Get Poisoned

2007-03-01T23:58:00.000-06:00

Despite the fact that prairie dogs have lost 98% of their habitat, they continually get poisoned and shot for the lamest of reasons. One recent example is in Lawton, OK, where they were poisoned to help tourism, or something like that. If anything, that would cause people to NOT come to Lawton. Many people want to go to western town parks to see prairie dogs. I suppose the government of Lawton are the kind of people that want to kill first and ask questions later. Poisoning is very cruel, especially during this crucial time of year when babies are born.

Squirrel Awareness Introductory Message

2007-03-01T16:56:00.000-06:00

This blog is dedicated to spreading positive awareness about all squirrels, that is, all 270+ species in the squirrel family worldwide. This includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, marmots, and groundhogs.

I have reason to be thanked, because I was influential in helping to take down an anti-squirrel blog called Varmit Poontang. That blog is no longer being run by the owner, who was known as "Snake." It is a shame that this person had the audacity to not only kill squirrels just for fun, but give them all male names regardless of whether they were male or female. This atrocity took place in the Dallas, TX area during the breeding season of the fox squirrel. That means he was killing mother squirrels who had young, while using the childish assumption that all animals are male. Snake is a disgrace even to hunters, who only hunt in designated areas, with a permit, and at the right time of year.