Your rock squirrel was not familiar to me, so I did a litle research. In the Edwards Plateau of Texas the males are black and the females a pretty reddish brown. They are the same species, and have a properly descriptive species name.
As of earlier this year, it's probably better treated as Otospermophilus variegatus. Helgen et al. (Journal of Mammalogy, 90:270-305) make a very good case for splitting up Spermophilus, notably that it is paraphyletic with respect to marmots, and prairie dogs.
Brian,
You captured another adorable animal form in nature, so beautiful and precious. Other precious and wonderful forms are out there abundantly, which is not difficult to imagine, but capturing them at the right moment is not easy. You delivered another once more, and it is precious!
Your rock squirrel was not familiar to me, so I did a litle research. In the Edwards Plateau of Texas the males are black and the females a pretty reddish brown. They are the same species, and have a properly descriptive species name.
As of earlier this year, it's probably better treated as Otospermophilus variegatus. Helgen et al. (Journal of Mammalogy, 90:270-305) make a very good case for splitting up Spermophilus, notably that it is paraphyletic with respect to marmots, and prairie dogs.
I look at this pic and imagine the squirrel whispering, "... for these gifts i am about to receive, thank you lord."
Brian,
You captured another adorable animal form in nature, so beautiful and precious. Other precious and wonderful forms are out there abundantly, which is not difficult to imagine, but capturing them at the right moment is not easy. You delivered another once more, and it is precious!
AriSan