It rained 3"+ on Wednesday and another 1" (10+ cm) on Thursday. It seems crazy that the river barely rose. The trees will have thick growth rings this year.
We traveled to southern Ohio yesterday. We were tickled to see Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels (Spermaphilus tridecemlineatus) since they don't live in our part of the state. They originally resided in the central prairie states but have been expanding their range as land has been cleared.
They have a complex underground burrow system in which they nest and hibernate. I found this entrance.
They greet one another by touching lips and noses. [Pause for you to say "Awwwwww."] They are omnivorous, eating seeds, leaves, and insects. The squirrels use alarm calls to alert the colony to danger. They are preyed upon by snakes and hawks.
On south to Portsmouth, Ohio, we saw the place where our river, the Scioto, eventually runs into the Ohio River. Kentucky is to the distant left and Ohio is on the right.
I'll post more pictures from the trip soon.
I'll post more pictures from the trip soon.
10 comments:
Hi Jain
I have just looked you up in the Rand McNally road atlas my husband uses for his car hunting forays in the mid west...
The little squirrels are new to me...do they have a bushy tail...
Happy days
Hi Delwyn, here are more endearing pictures of them, including their tails (which are unimpressive by squirrel standards :o)
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/pictures/Spermophilus_tridecemlineatus.html
We're in north central Ohio, for mapping purposes.
Great looking veggies. We have had so much rain in New England that our toatoes are just barely starting to ripen. But we will get them eventually
those squirrels are so cute. They look like chipmunks.
We only have grey squirrels here.
Hi Jain,
Your veggies look nice...our tomatoes were slow too. Are these ground squirrels different from Chipmunks? I guess I will go to the site you mentioned to Delwyn.
Your trip has brought you down closer to me...I'm just 30 miles north of Cincinnati.
Rita, I heard that New England was hit hard by late blight; I hope all your veggies are okay, even it a little late.
The squirrel was so cool - I'd love to get back and see if I could watch the colony for a while. They seem to have different habits than greys and the others I know.
Hi Wanda,
Yes, the 13-Lined are different than Chipmunks: larger, stripier, perhaps more colonial. I didn't know they existed till recently.
I thought you were in Ohio but wasn't sure of your location; it's good to be able to place you!
I did say awwwww, how did you guess? :) Do they really have 13 lines? Great pics, as ever!
Thank you, Jenny. Animal Diversity Web says, "The "thirteen lines" consist of either (1) seven broad dark brown stripes alternating with six thin tan bands or (2) seven narrow yellow stripes alternating with six broader dark brown stripes." It's a complex, handsome pattern.
Hi Jain
thanks for the link, he is a gorgeous little fellow - and has aboriginal patterns down his back!
Happy days
Aboriginal patterns, ha, I like it!
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