"Small and Courageous" / The California Ground Squirrel
There is a commonly seen animal in Yosemite that is loaded with personality and has an unmatched sense of courage. This would be the California ground squirrel. This little rodent has a magnetic personality and a highly unusual way of defending itself. When confronted by predators, California ground squirrels furiously shake their tails and actually heat their tails up by as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit. To a heat sensing organism like a snake, this sudden flash of heat startles them and sends them scurrying off in the opposite direction. This is the first example of infrared communication ever observed in the animal world! Weirder yet, mother squirrels have been observed chewing up shed rattlesnake skins and then meticulously grooming their pups. This rattlesnake "perfume" is thought to camouflage the pup's scent. So next time you see one of these little rodents in Yosemite, realize you just might be seeing one of the most clever and courageous animals of them all...( This information was taken from an article posted by a Yosemite Valley Park Ranger--no name given )
"Small and Courageous" / The California Ground Squirrel
There is a commonly seen animal in Yosemite that is loaded with personality and has an unmatched sense of courage. This would be the California ground squirrel. This little rodent has a magnetic personality and a highly unusual way of defending itself. When confronted by predators, California ground squirrels furiously shake their tails and actually heat their tails up by as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit. To a heat sensing organism like a snake, this sudden flash of heat startles them and sends them scurrying off in the opposite direction. This is the first example of infrared communication ever observed in the animal world! Weirder yet, mother squirrels have been observed chewing up shed rattlesnake skins and then meticulously grooming their pups. This rattlesnake "perfume" is thought to camouflage the pup's scent. So next time you see one of these little rodents in Yosemite, realize you just might be seeing one of the most clever and courageous animals of them all...( This information was taken from an article posted by a Yosemite Valley Park Ranger--no name given )