Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-09
GROUND SQUIRRELS.
The Little Animals Ignorance OF Oan'
Ger Is Pathetic.

AS one is driving along the Foaus VI
uas+arn Kansas il is not an infrequent
occurrence for slender little ailiii''
to scurry across just In front OF the
team. then turn. and standing on MS
hind feet fearleSsly Watch you pass
While hurrying along the stripes and
dots of the little prairie squirrel are
conspicuous. and when he faces you
his dark bright eyes are the noticeable
feature. He is Il gentle creature as his
countenance shows. and there is some
thing almost pathetic in his standing
there so plainly exposed to danger.
When on "all tours" even a small clOd
would be as a mountain to him in OBJ
structing his view; so the little fellow.
when his curiosity is aroused, always
stands erect upon his hind feet. !
have sometimes looked down from an
upstairs window and noticed one Oh
the prairie squirrels very near the
house. and light tapping on the win,
dow pane would cause him to imme-
diately assume his usual attitude or
observation. Whether or not the
squirrel ever glanced up and saw me
do not know. but he was evidently on
the alert for danger. And his home
was near-it was less than two rods
from the house.
The striped prairie squirrel is some
times known by the name of thirteen.
lined squire! or federation squirrel.
This name was given it in 1921 because
of the six or eight rows of longitudinal
stripes with five or seven rows of spots
Jl1S hn
Stripes of the thirteen original states
Wnen breaking ground last spring
the prairie squirrels came very near to
me in their search for edible bulbs. H.
fact they paid no attention to the
ploWman, and it seemed that Will.
searching for food the little COMPANY
were enjoying all their usual socia,
Pleasures But the most pleasing par,
oI the scene was to watch a squirrel
ENJOY meal-he would grab a little
ouip' ana while resting on his hind
ieet IN half-erect attitude cunningl\
nold the bulb between his front fee,
and nibble away. apparently CARING
nothing for my close proximity
The wild onion is abundant on ON.
western plairies, as are also grass
hoppers, and as the striped prairie
squirrel is particularly fond of both tn q
grasshopper and the bulb of the wild
onion he must consider this a land NJ
plenty. And the wild onion not only
serves to satisfy the appetite OF the lit
tie squirrels, but for a month or more
IN the spring its numerous clusters ri
MOWERS add much to the attractivenes,
of the prairie. The two varieties {.
common here are low growing an.
have either pink or pink and whit,
striped star-shaped flowers. Ths
striped prairie squirrel is also fond OF
the bulb of the sheep sorrel, hut l an
in doubt if that plant is found on GU,
Western plains.
Ore morning last October a strlpeC
prairie squirrel became frightened al
my approach and 1arted into the near
est hole-a burrow larger than her owr
home. | stopped to watch proceedings
In little while the squirrel came tc
the mouth of the hole and looked out
but seeing me and no other cause foi
alarm, she again disappeared in the
burrow. But she seemed uneasy anG
kept returning every few minutes t.
loon thC ilClu oNcI. anu SOoI Tie CduSt
of her anxiety was explained. Thie
time when she made her survey she
saw a gray ground squirrel approach
ing, and although he was smaller thar
the cause Of her first alarm, she wa
evidently more afraid for him to fine
her in his home than to brave an open
run. But the gray squirrel had noticed
the trespasser. and instantly started il
pursuit. AS soon. however, as HI
noticed my presence he abandoned the
chase and ran into his burrOw. The
striped and prairie squirrel soon dis
appeared in another burrow. presum-
ably her own. And l noticed its lOca-
ton, and then knew that / had been
between her and her own home, AM
this was the cause of her seeking shell
ter in the burrow of the gray squirrel
This incident occurred in eastern
Kansas. How far west the gray
ground squirrel is found I do not know.
| think there are none of them in Ford
county, and doubt if they are found
at all on the western plains.
The burrows of the little striped
prairie squirrel are very numerous OF
the DrairieS of western Kansas, All
quite common on the prairies OF
eastern Kansas. But the home OF the
gray ground squirrel is usually in OF
near a grain field In the grain fields
If eastern Kansas it is not unusual to
see a gray ground squirrel but he is
much shyer creature than the striped
prairie squirrel. He often digs his bur-
row underneath a corn shock because
of the convenience of obtaining ami
transporting the quantity of shelled
corn which he wishes to store away
The striped prairie squirrel stores
away grass seen and grain and in east
ern Kansas. where they are pientilu''
he also stores away quantities or the
Indian coral berry or buckberry.-out-
door life.