Red Fox listening
Wildlife from home and abroad
Colorado wildlife, North America and fauna of Jura, Switzerland,
Animals, wild or not, are fascinating to observe. Everything they do is driven by instinct, whether for survival or reproduction. I remember one day, walking through the Front-Range hills early in the morning, I found myself face-to-face with two mountain lions, probably a female with it's young; As soon as they saw me the female disappeared in the woods, but the young was approaching me dangerously, not realizing it was alone, ready for a hunt. My own instinct told me to step back slowly, always facing it. Removing my backpack, I grabbed the tripod and opened it to impress the big cat. I heard the female call and when the young looked back, surprised to stand alone, it jumped over the bushes and disappeared. I finally took my camera and shot around but it was too late.
Sure I am a little disappointed not to have a picture of this adventure, but I'll never forget, and since this encounter, my senses are more alert when I'm walking in the wild, sometimes stopping to listen to what nature has to tell me.
What crazy story is that ???
Mule Deer (male)
Beaver
Squirrels
Fox Squirrel
The squirrels belong to a group of mammals very conspicuous in North America, among them one can mention the ground squirrels; Sleeping all winter in underground galleries, there are so many in certain areas that the ground looks like it has been ploughed.
Another group comprises the tree squirrels, the Colorado species are the eastern fox squirrel, the red squirrel, the tassel-eared squirrel, and the cute little spruce squirrel.
The third group to mention, the chipmunks, with dozens of species and subspecies in the United States, those tiny squirrels look all similar in aspect, brown to grayish bodies, black and white stripped backs, but only color, voice, behavior, and tiny physical differences can help to determine the exact specie, they are mainly active over the ground on the search for food, but they nest and semi-hibernate in underground galleries.
The last group is only composed of 2 species, the northern and southern flying squirrels, the only members of the squirrel family with strictly nocturnal habits.
Spruce Squirrel
Here you can see more pictures of
Mule Deer
Here is the world of
Cricket
Ringed Snake