Sciuridae
10 creative works found
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My little squirrel friend, I call him Oliver Twist…begging for his morning breakfast at my patio door. Picture / Make: NIKON CORPORATION / Model: NIKON D40 / Shutter Speed: 10/1250 second / F Number: F/5.6 / Focal Length: 175 mm / ISO Speed: 900 ___ Featured in the Following: / Michigan Outdoors / Nikon D40 Users Wins in the following Groups & Challenges: / The Beginner’s Corner – “That One Great Shot” – Top 10 (#5)
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A California ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) is feeding on wild grass. Cambria California —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-- / —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
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/ How did the prairie dog get its name? It’s said that during the westward expansion, the prairie dog’s trademark chirp reminded settlers of a dog’s bark. But prairie dogs share little else with their canine namesakes, and they are actually members of the rodent family Sciuridae, which includes ground squirrels and woodchucks. / The black-tailed prairie dog, the most common of the five prairie dog species, once lived all along the Rocky Mountain range, from Southern Canada to Mexico. But as humans claimed more land in the region, prairie dog habitat shrunk—the species has lost more than 99% of its historical range and is now found in only 11 U.S. states. Prairie Dog Town Prairie dogs build underground communities called prairie dog towns, which can cover anywhere from one to a hundred acres. (In Texas, a 25,000-square-mile prairie dog town was once reported, but such large communities are now a thing of the past.) The towns are made up of a system of burrows between three and six feet deep with several chambers for sleeping, storing food, and nesting. Extremely social animals, black-tailed prairie dogs have a complicated system of communicating, using smell and touch as well as sounds. Scientists have identified at least 11 calls, including different barks to warn of different types of predators. When prairie dogs greet one another, they often touch mouths in an exchange that resembles kissing to the casual human observer. Around each burrow entrance is a mound of soil, one- to three-feet high, which is used as a lookout point. If a prairie dog spots a predator, she or he will bark a warning, and the rest of the community will scoot into their burrows until the danger has passed. Other members of the family Sciuridae also emit alarm calls, but black-tailed prairie dogs may be among the few species in which males call as often as females. Interestingly, both male and female black-tailed prairie dogs are more likely to sound the call when their close kin are nearby. The denizens of a prairie dog town are split into groups called coteries, which break down into even smaller groups made up of a male, up to four females, and pups. March and April are the months when prairie dog pups are born. A litter size can range from one to six pups—each born blind, hairless, and weighing about 15 grams. (As adults, they will reach 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. and between 12 and 16 inches in length.) The pups begin to emerge from the burrow at around six weeks, at which point they start eating the grasses and other vegetation that comprise the prairie dog diet. By the time they are a year old, most males will have left the family group for good. A Keystone Species The black-tailed prairie dog is essential to the short grass prairie ecosystem. Badgers, coyotes, weasels, golden eagles, hawks, swift foxes, and snakes all rely on prairie dogs for food. So dependent is the black-footed ferret that this endangered species cannot survive unless prairie dog populations are maintained. And prairie dog towns attract many non-predators. Meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, and other birds gravitate to them because seeds and insects are more available. When burrows are abandoned, they become home to the likes of burrowing owls, white-tailed rabbits and other animals. In addition, bison and pronghorn antelope (as well as domestic cattle) prefer to graze on or near prairie dog towns, most likely because prairie dog foraging increases the quality of grassland plants. Taken with my Nikon D60~ at the St. Louis Zoo in Oct. 2008
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The Black Squirrel – Sciuridae, is actually a melanistic variety of the Grey squirrel. Large natural populations of black squirrels can be found throughout Ontario, many areas of Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. There are approximately 300 varieties of squirrels worldwide. North America has 10 . Mating commences at 1 yr, spring and fall, gestation is 6 wks with litters consisting of 2 – 5 kits. The Mother will push the young ones out at 8 wks. They have a 10-12 yr lifespan but an 8 yr old is considered old. / Predators include: hawks, wildcats, foxes, owls, racoons, skunk, snakes, opossum, weasels, ravens and last but not least , domestic cats and dogs. / They play an important role in tree propogation as 10 – 20% of burried nuts are lost and hence grow into trees. / Through the SPCA i also found out an interesting fact. If a baby squirrel is lost or out of the nest and becomes cold the mother will not take the kit back. / This image was taken Jan 25/09 AS/IS no editing / Info: nikond80 f 5.6 1/500sec ISO 400 -0.3 step AP fl 300mm /
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Lisa C. Weber ©2008 (Created with Bryce 6.1) Visit My Complete Bubble for all My 3D Artwork. Thanks for dropping by and enjoy!
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Lisa C. Weber ©2008 (Created with Bryce 6.1) Visit My Complete Bubble for all My 3D Artwork. Thanks for dropping by and enjoy!
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What is there to say…hehe! / My “little friend” is the Rambo of squirrels! _____ Featured in the following groups: / Squirrels and Chipmunks – June 2009 / Americas ~ Rural, Urban, Wild, Free – June 2009
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This Richardson’s ground squirrel gave me 15 minutes of clear photography time while calling out in that high pitched voice.
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This baby squirrel and his brother/sister are living in my backyard. The green plants in the background are tulips…so that gives you a comparison as to how small they really are! Now, tell me…does it really get any cuter than this? ____ / Featured in the Following Groups / Baby Animals (3/day) Winner in the Following Challenges / Cutest of the Cute – “CUTEST OF THE CUTEST” – Top 10 (#10) June 2009
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