The Sciuridae Family

Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel

I want to pickup on a topic I spoke of rather briefly in the second part of the post on Talkative Thursday.

The Sciuridae Family and my experiences with at least 6 of them, 4 of which are apart of the Timber Life family.

The only member of the family that isn't a ground dweller is the Foxtail Squirrel showing off in the third picture below. I truly have fun watching all these little critters running here and there...

Chipmunk

Groundhog

Foxtail Squirrel

Prairie Dog

However, a downside to these ground shifting rodents - unexpected holes to fall into when walking or driving around the farm and timber. After falling into holes created in the hard packed drive ,one will want to reconsider how fast the travel speed should be to complete the trip.

Soft soils are excellent medium to start a new tunnel and living quarters for most of  the cousins who live here in Iowa.                                           


The larger Groundhogs find no difficulty in expanding  their tunnels from between 8 - 66 feet with multiple rooms and exits.In the construction of their den it has been found to contain a room specifically associated to the bodily function of defecation. They usually have more than one den to keep them close to the best sources of food and protection. My observations have them building dens under wood piles, at bases of trees and in the slope of a hill in the timber floor.


I have been privileged to watch them scamper up trees and freeze in place so they won't be detected.



The Foxtail Squirrel is very industrious when it comes to distributing the Black Walnut seeds found in abundance here in our timber.

I would prefer they go about planting more acorns and hickory nuts instead of eating them...One of those human traits I would like to pass along - eat some, plant some and save some . The only problem with the last theory is the number of rodents and birds that feast on the same resources, there doesn't seem to be enough to save some.


                                                                          



In  September 2007, middle afternoon sun we found several Prairie Dog colonies in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Hubby and I hadn't seen these little creatures in the wild before this trip. It created a curiosity about their habits due to the problems they were said to be causing for the cattlemen and the destruction of the grazing lands over vast areas.

At the time of our visit to the Badlands they were beginning to test Blackfooted Ferrets as a means of biological control.

Yellow-bellied Marmot

This past summer during June, I had the great privilege of visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park outside Estes Park , CO., with my family.

On one of the Tourist Pull-off areas at Forest Canyon Overlook , we came across this chubby little Marmot out enjoying the late afternoon sun.

Please click the captions to find more information about each of the members of the squirrel family or previous posts here at Timber Life...


My hope is that the next time you see a member of the Sciuridae Family you'll have time to watch a little bit of nature in action in the great outdoors.


Thank you for your visit today! All pictures posted here are the property of Timber Life Wildscapes.

The Groundhog Rises Again

WHewie! Today is one of those days you stop and reflect on flash backs from the past. 

Good old days when The Ground Hog Hilton was busy that one summer. Guess it was back in September of '07 if memory serves me right. Yep.... '07.

It started like this...My side kick Sadie and I were off to the land of Garden Delights - had some weed wrasseling to do. While I was hard at work yanking, and pulling around the cantaloupe, Sadie was off  putting her sniff on the territory.

MY WORD! Some critter just past my feet without as much as a howdy do, landing smack dab, flat against the fence. Hmmmm, a familiar shape only smaller. I followed suit to see about scaring it out of the garden the same way it had entered, through the open gate.

Couldn't get Sadie's attention for a bit, thought if she got on the same side of the critter I was it would head out. The poor thing was pinned, its back to the fence taking a defensive posture while clicking its teeth. Sadie darting in and back, eventually out the gate herself, opening up the opportunity to give that little plant eater a heave with my trusty three tined garden tool. (Where's the camera when you need it?!?)

As I lifted that miniature clover muncher, giving it a toss, it laid on its back looking around until Sadie came to investigate. 

Whoops! Sadie couldn't let this chance go by without chasing it off into the Timber full tilt until it wasn't seen any longer.

It looks like an exciting season ahead! ; )

GroundHog Hilton

Are you feeling those summertime varmint blues? Boy, sometimes you wish you could just push the wildlife back into the timber... for a little while.;) We have had increased groundhog activity for the last three or four years in and around the yard; there are at least 6-7 dens that I personally know exist. Acorns have drawn the attention of one (?) marmota monax to the driveway.The oak tree providing the delicious snack has a hallow about three feet off the ground that has become an "INN" of note. When a leisurely feast is interrupted by the resident Homo Sapiens it is a quick trip to the spa. Sharing an episode that happened here in July will show the comic side of the groundhogs character...I had nursed some plants dug up from my daughter's yard for a month in black poly-pots. The decision was made to get these plants into the ground to get established before cold fall and frigid winter temperatures arrive. Putting bone meal in the bottom of the hole may have been a factor - can't prove it, but the holes were hollowed out of the soil in which the amendment had been incorporated. It all started one forenoon . I had to leave to make a trip to town, a 20 minute excursion. Upon my return there was no doubt some digging animal was either trying to take advantage of the soft, disturbed soil ,or wanted to have a tender root salad; tucked the plant back in a couple more times in the next few days. Then all the plants - one by the front door deck, one in the backyard flower garden and 2 plants down the drive a half mile succumbed to the marauding varmint. In my disappointment I discovered the animal had a penchant to redistribute our grand children's bubble pipes and water-guns. It kept moving things every time it dropped in for a visit. Maybe it is my imagination, but I think those little animals are pretty intelligent. Have I spent too much time by myself ?