I have found the secret desert level for #squirrelsunday
I was fortunate enough to see some baby round-tailed ground squirrels emerging from their burrow in Arizona.
Here is a really little one, they were quite clumsy at this early age.
They have to look for various seeds and plant matter to eat. I'm not sure this young one really knows what to eat in the outside world just yet.
The older ones were staying near the burrow.
Here is one of the full grown adults. These round-tailed ground squirrels are communal like prairie dogs and hang around together in burrow networks. I'm sure all the adults were keeping an eye on the young ones emerging for the first time.
The only other critters nearby were some desert cottontails. Their big ears will pick out any potential predators.
Desert cottontail rabbits are very common and they are a favored food for many different predators. They get eaten by hawks, snakes, coyotes and foxes. They have multiple litters a year and without the predators they would be all over the place. Fortunately the ground squirrels will probably not be chosen by a predator because this plump rabbit is nearby.
Here is a different kind of rabbit, actually a hare. This one is an antelope jackrabbit. They are about twice the size of the desert cottontails. I could only get the giant ears of this one before it bolted.
That's all for now happy #squirrelsunday
