Ground Squirrel Babies

The California ground squirrel babies have emerged from their burrows outside my work window, eyes and ears opened, fur intact. There are at least eight or nine though with several connected burrows I’m not sure which ones belong to which litter.

I’m not sure it matters much: these animals are quite altruistic and look out for each other. The young ones are certainly fully alert; the slightest noise or shadow of a crow overhead is enough to send them scurrying back underground.

It’s hard to get a sense of scale from this photo; their mother is more than twice this size.