Columbian Ground Squirrels

Here’s my newest favourite creature – the Columbian Ground Squirrel. They look like the squirrels I’m used to seeing here in Vancouver, just bigger. Much bigger.

Columbian Ground Squirrels have been known to hibernate for up to 220 days (!), waking every few weeks to eat some of the food they’d previously stockpiled – as well as going to the bathroom.

They’re inquisitive and quite chatty, making little chirpy noises while standing on their hind legs looking around. They run rampant in Barkerville and are the bane of existence of anyone working there. It’s not uncommon to see them trying to sneak through the open door of the town’s candy shop, and hear the staff shouting as the squirrels were chased back out. But to a city dweller like me, I wanted to catch them all to bring home as pets.

BECAUSE LOOK AT IT!

I think I’m in love.

Bonne journée!

Marla