Red Squirrel with spruce cone
Are cigars back in style? ;-)
This squirrel, of course, had NO idea of how comical it looked with this unopened cone in its teeth (and didn't seem to care as it was photographed)!
This squirrel is also sitting on its "midden" - a large area covered with the remains of spruce cones from prior feasting events. There were quite a few middens along this trail (Oxbow Trail) and they were riddled with holes where the squirrels store cones and other food for later eating. The squirrels actively guard their middens from intruding or thieving squirrels.
Oxbow Trail, Denali National Park, Alaska
June 21, 2025
Red Squirrel with spruce cone
Are cigars back in style? ;-)
This squirrel, of course, had NO idea of how comical it looked with this unopened cone in its teeth (and didn't seem to care as it was photographed)!
This squirrel is also sitting on its "midden" - a large area covered with the remains of spruce cones from prior feasting events. There were quite a few middens along this trail (Oxbow Trail) and they were riddled with holes where the squirrels store cones and other food for later eating. The squirrels actively guard their middens from intruding or thieving squirrels.
Oxbow Trail, Denali National Park, Alaska
June 21, 2025