GETTING IN TOUCH WITH NATURE: Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves
of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~ Rachel Carson
   
  • HOME
    • CUSTOM DESIGNS
    • Greeting Cards
    • ANIMALS
    • CHIPPY & CREW
    • BIRDS
    • MY BOOK
    • PLANT LIFE
    • HUMANS
    • TRAVEL
    • NATURE'S ART
    • Growing Up In Africa
  • ABOUT ME
  • PHOTO-BLOG
    • ALL ABSTRACT
  • Beach Wood
  • BUY MY ART
  • MY BOOKS
    • BEES
    • FOR ALL THE BEES
  • TINY-LIFE
    • GEESE PHOTOS
  • LADYBUGS
  • FOR ALL THE ANIMALS
  • CONTACT
    • ON MOTORCYCLE
    • LIVEHONESTLY
  • ANIMAL RIGHTS & WELFARE

HOW TO IDENTIFY SQUIRRELS, CHIPMUNKS AND GROUND SQUIRRELS

1/12/2017

12 Comments

 

How To Tell Them Apart

Picture
Picture
Young ground squirrel
Stripes. It's all in the stripes when comparing a chipmunk to any squirrel. Chipmunks have stripes all the way up and down their little bodies clear to the tip of their noses. Ground squirrels have stripes on their bodies but not anywhere on their face. Fox squirrels have NO stripes.  If you know nothing else about them, knowing about stripes will tell you what you're seeing.

Size. Chipmunks are the smallest of the 3 kinds of animals. They are noticeably smaller. Ground squirrels are not good climbers. Fox Squirrels are terrific climbers and you'll see them navigating fences, trees and dumpsters with ease. Chipmunks can scale anything too. They'll zip up the side of a cabin like they have super powers. 

Tails. Between ground squirrels and fox or eastern squirrels, the tail is distinguishable. Ground squirrel tails are not bushy, while fox and eastern squirrels will be. 

Color. Between eastern and fox squirrels, the obvious way to tell them apart is by color. Fox squirrels are much more copper/orange-ish while eastern squirrels are predominantly gray and white.

Ground Squirrels - Colorado

Picture
Ground squirrel
Picture
Picture
Ground squirrel
Picture
Baby ground squirrel

Fox Squirrels - Colorado

Chipmunks - Colorado
(note the striped nose)

Picture
www.foralltheanimals.com
Picture
The pair of chipmunks pictured were mates. I called them Albert & Alberta. They truly exhibited love toward one another and would snuggle and protect one another. They often explored together and didn't fight over food. The came when I called and crawled up my pant leg to see me. They lived at 10,000 feet elevation in the heart of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

GROUND SQUIRRELS of Colorado

Chippy and the crew .....
Picture
This is Jasper, son of Chippy.
I guess you could say Chippy is a family name. My brother and I had a pet chipmunk named Chippy when we were growing up in the 1960's. We found him in an old tin can and rescued him; he was barely breathing. I would never cage one of these animals again. At the time, I was about 9 years old and became very attached to him after he recovered. In hindsight, I should've released him back into the woods. That's where he belonged. The pictures here show a new Chippy - happily living in the wild -- among a lot of other wild critters living nearby. It's a great privilege interacting with them.

MORE GROUND SQUIRRELS

Picture
Chippy (ground squirrel) and her baby.

Below is an Eastern Gray Squirrel

Picture
Picture
Best squirrel "thumb" photo I've ever taken!
Picture
Here's a good illustration of how to read squirrel body language. In the first photo on the left, the squirrel has turned her back to the bowl of bird seed after hearing me near the window. This is an overt sign of caution. The squirrel is assessing the danger. After a few moments, she turns back to the bowl. I've remained still. She started to eat and then I began to open the sliding glass door. She pauses again. This time with one paw pulled close to her chest. This is a sign of caution, but she's only half concerned. She goes back to eating after I've again become still. The fourth photo at the right, shows what she does when she hears the sliding glass door begin to open again. When a squirrel pulls both paws to her chest, she is deeply considering whether there is a potential threat. She focuses intently during this pose and is on high alert. 

A Western Gray Squirrel from the Rocky Mountains

Below are three photos of a mountain gray, tree squirrel. The tail is noticeably less fluffy than the eastern gray squirrel.  Their personality is much more "squirrely". They exhibit noisy frustration when a human begins to communicate with them. Overall, they are much for verbal than any either the fox or eastern squirrel. They often chatter off and on through out the day in the high mountains.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Mountain, grey, tree squirrel
Picture
Chipmunk by Betsy Seeton

All photos are available as greeting cards, postcards, and as prints for framing, canvas or metal. Please email me for orders: betsy @ livehonestly DOT COM

FIRST DANDELION
Picture

ANIMAL ACTIVISM THROUGH IMAGES
by Betsy Seeton

Picture
The summer of 2009, I trained my wild chipmunk friends and ground squirrels to 'hold' flags from various countries around the world. I would use the photos to post on a blog about animal related issue in the corresponding country. One of the ground squirrels that I called Jasper, became the figurehead for his own blog called Jasper's Blog and his own Facebook page. 

Teaching Them To Play

Picture
by Betsy Seeton
Picture
by Betsy Seeton
Picture
Baking 101 - by Betsy Seeton
Picture
by Betsy Seeton


My 'feel good' book, YOU'RE NOT ALONE, is 2o pages filled with my wild friends telling an inspiring and uplifting tale. This is a great gift item for the friend or family member needing to know you're in their corner; that you have their back.

Picture
5 X 7
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The collage above is full of red fox squirrels from the city, and below are baby ground squirrels from the mountains.
Picture
Picture
All of these are city fox squirrels. 
12 Comments
    Picture

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2015
    March 2015
    September 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2012
    May 2012
    November 2011
    September 2011

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    2017
    A Beautiful Autumn Afternoon
    A Bee That Makes Me Smile
    ADORABLE PIKA PHOTOS
    Almost Full Moon
    Alpacas & Llamas
    Anacortes
    And Crows
    Animals In Snow
    Antelopes
    Apples
    Are Cows Sentient?
    A Spider
    At The Beach
    August In Anacortes
    Autumn And Dragonflies
    Avocets
    Baby Avocets
    Baby Deer With Mom
    Baby Ducks
    Baby Foxes
    Baby Goats
    Baby Goats With Mom
    Baby Lambs
    Baby Snake Playing Dead
    Bald Eagle
    Bark
    Beach After The Storm
    Beach Dogs
    Beach Scenes On The Isand
    Beach Stuff Macro
    Beach Wood
    Beach Wood And Bark
    Bearding Bees
    Beautiful Day In Sequim
    Beautiful Soap Bubbles
    Beauty Comes In All Sizes And Forms
    Beaver
    Beckett Point
    Big Horn Sheep
    Birds
    Birds And Beach
    Birds At Juan De Fuca
    Birds & Butterflies
    Bird Swarms
    Black Crowned Night Heron
    Black-Crowned Night Heron
    Blowing Bubbles
    Brant Geese In Flight
    Bull Elk In Snowstorm
    Bull Moose
    Captain Cooper
    Cat Eyes
    Chickens And Goats
    Child's Duck & Horse Ride
    Chipmunks And Squirrels
    Chipmunks At Play With A Ground Squirrel
    Chippy Makes The Cover!
    Colorado's Wildlife Sanctuary
    Cooper
    Cormorant In Washington
    Cormorants 2017
    Cormorants Arguing
    Cows
    Coyote
    Crab
    Crab Up Close
    CRESTED BUTTE
    Crested Butte Mountains
    Crows In Sequim
    Crows Visiting
    CUTEST PIKAS EVER
    Dandelions
    Dan George Quote
    Day 4 Of Fall 2018
    Day 4 Of Fall On The Island
    Deception Pass
    Deer
    Deer In Snowstorm
    Deer In Winter
    Deer Up Close
    Dragonfly Landing On Me
    Ducks Landing
    Eagle In Flight
    Eagles
    Egrets In June
    Elk
    Elk And Deer
    ELK Day 4
    Elk Feb 8
    Elk Herd
    ELK HERD ESTES PARK
    ELK JUMPING FENCES
    ELK October 2017
    Ethereal Images Of Bees
    Eyes And Noses
    Farm Animals
    Ferruginous Hawk
    Fog
    Foggy Morning
    Foxes
    Frog Photos
    Full Moon
    Full Moon Anacorts
    Full Moon New Year's Eve
    Gathering Pine Cones
    Gorgeous Beach Wood
    Gorgeous Bull Elk
    Gorgeous Eagles
    Great Blue Heron
    Growing Baby Ducks
    Gulls
    Hands On
    Harbor Seal
    Hawk
    Hens & Hawks
    HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU
    Heron
    Heron And Owl
    Heron Fishing
    Heron Flying
    Heron In November
    Herons
    Herons At The Beach
    Herons Fishing
    Horse
    How To Tell The Difference Between Chipmunks And Squirrels
    Hummingbirds
    Insect Collage
    I WANT A SAFE WORLD
    Juvenile Bald Eagle
    Juvenile Eagles
    Kayaking
    Kayaking And Sunsets
    Kayaking The San Juan Islands
    Ladybugs And Bubbles
    Leaves
    Life On The Island
    Little Things Of Beauty
    Logging In The Olympic Peninsula
    Lots Of Baby Elk
    Lots Of Marmots!
    Marmots And Pikas
    Marmots In August
    Metaphid Jumping Spider Hunting For Snacks
    Miniature Donkey
    Mommy Snail With Her Baby
    Montrose Colorado
    Moon
    Moose
    Moose August 26
    Moose Facts
    Moose In Colorado
    Moose - June 2017
    Moose Watering Hole
    More December Pics In Sequim
    More Eagles & Herons & Sea Life
    More Kayaking
    More Marmots And Pikas
    Mt. Baker
    My Porcupine
    My Stomping Grounds
    Nature
    New Year's Day 2018
    Old Cars
    Olympic Peninsula
    Original Dream Catchers
    Original Dream Catchers II
    Otter
    Owl
    Owl Again
    Peacock On Sinclair Island
    Pelicans
    Pig
    Pika
    Pine Squirrel Of Colorado
    Pine Squirrel & Pine Cones
    Playing With Bees
    Pollen Loads On Honey Bees
    Porcupine
    Port Townsend
    Rainbow
    RedRocksAmphitheater
    Rock Play Area For The Animals
    Salamander
    Sandhill Crane
    Scenery
    Seagulls
    Seagulls In Sequim
    Sea Otter
    Seattle From The Ferry
    Seaweed Ribons
    Sequim In December 2017
    Sequim Week Two
    Ship At Dawn
    Sibling Marmots
    Sights On The Beach
    Small Things
    Snails
    Snowy Egret
    Spider Webs
    Steller's Jay
    Stop Sign
    Super Cute Pika Pics!
    Swarms Of Birds
    Texture Color Shape
    Textures From The Beach
    Textures In Nature
    The Colorado Rocky Mountains
    The Healing Powers Of Honey Bees And Nature
    The Lighthouse
    The Sea
    The Sleeping Goddess
    The Strorm
    Tugboat
    Washington Crows
    Washington State Herons
    Wasp Nest
    Water + Sunlight
    White Faced Elk
    William Stafford Quote
    Young Bucks

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.