3 August 03
Plucky Denizens Of Bee Boxes
California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) may not be the most charismatic of rodents to look at, but they are certainly interesting: social mammals often post sentries, and these are no exception. The alarm calls are different depending on whether the danger is in the air or on the ground, so when a squirrel is screeching at a certain pitch we know to look up for a raptor.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about these creatures is that over millennia they have developed an immunity to rattlenesake venom. We’ve seen footage of a mother squirrel actually parrying a strike by a rattler intent on making lunch of one of her offspring, who presumably are more vulnerable. Donald Owings, of the UC Davis Psychology Department, has studied these animals and their communication systems for some time.
We have our own colony here out back living among all the beekeeping equipment. Last year we saw not one but two albino ground squirrels, an obvious target for predators.
Previous: Little Apple Next: Place Bloggers on the Radio
I live in Yampa, Colorado and i have seen 1 albino ground squirrel since i moved here and i was wondering if albino ground squirrels were any more special than regular ground squirrels? Around here we see so many ground squirrels and the people here say they have lived here there whole life and have never seen an albino ground squirrel. I have also heard that they are worth money and i was just wandering if any of this information was true. Thanks