Given the behavior of the very photogenic Columbian Floor Squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus) to face upright, it’s not stunning that this small mammal is so in style with photographers.
The squirrel is present in western North America, in open and mountainous nation comparable to alpine meadows, excessive grass plateaus, forest clearcuts and sagebrush plains. It measures about twelve to sixteen inches in size, with a tail of about three to 4 inches. Like its cousin the prairie canine, the Columbian Floor Squirrel will typically stand on its hind legs to survey terrain. This habits, together with the squirrels’ behavior of “kissing” (touching noses and mouths after they meet), makes them a giant draw for photographers.
Columbian Floor Squirrels spend fifty p.c of their time standing on their hind legs, surveying terrain. Picture: Tina Abtrobus
Details concerning the Columbian Floor Squirrel
- It’s a “colonial” species. The Columbian Floor Squirrel gathers in colonies of about 60 squirrels per hectare. The burrows are elaborate, with a hibernation chamber constructed beneath the frost line and generally a separate chamber that serves as a bathroom.
- It may possibly hang-out graveyards. In 2022, CBC reported that Columbian Floor Squirrels had been inflicting havoc within the historic graveyards of Outdated Banff Cemetery and Mountain View Cemetery round Banff, Alberta. The squirrels construct their burrows in open areas, typically close to boulders, and a graveyard reproduces these options (with headstones standing in for the boulders). The underground community of burrows led to sunken graves and toppled monuments. Municipal staff live-trapped as many squirrels as they might within the spring, however the species’ excessive reproductive price makes controlling them a problem.
- Regardless of the issues they’ll trigger with their burrowing, floor squirrels are essential prey for bears, wolves, coyotes, eagles and different predators. The Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Columbian floor squirrel as a species of least concern. Inhabitants developments are steady in its vary.
- Hardly ever, it may be black. When climbing within the Sunshine Meadows close to Banff, Alberta, in the summertime of 2021, Calgary naturalist Brian Keating noticed a black Columbian floor squirrel. The squirrel had a genetic situation known as melanism, which isn’t such a bonus for an animal lively through the day. It’ll stand out towards its background and turn out to be extra seen to predators.
The work of our companions in defending floor squirrel habitat
The Rocky Mountains and foothills represent prime habitat for Columbian Floor Squirrels. Nature Alberta has been advocating for the creation of latest protected areas inside the foothills (presently only one.4% of this area is protected) and for a everlasting prohibition on coal mines within the space:
Alberta Nature: Conservation Priorities
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