Rodents

Here's a quick salute to Idaho's diverse rodent population. I thank them for turning the soil and helping things grow. They make great food for the Swainson's Hawks, too!

We have squirrels and chipmunks, and there is more than one kind of squirrel. I enjoy seeing this dark brown kind with the white eye rings.


There are lots of ground squirrels. I've heard people call them "Columbian Ground Squirrels" and in the mountains I think there is a "Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel".

It sure is funny the way they sit on their haunches!

The next photo is a mink. It was playing in the rocks by the Boise River.

And, a Long-tailed Weasel. What a jumper.

The omnipresent Badger. Those can be scary when they charge! But I've never gotten attacked, just scared. Mostly I mind my own business, and they go about theirs. This one is smirking for some reason.

And, my favorite rodent photo ... a Pika. They live at high elevations, harvesting and drying grasses to store for the long, cold winter ahead. They're related to rabbits and can throw their voices. I often hear them in alpine areas, and they can be hard to see. This one was uncommonly trusting, perhaps because it lived by a nature trail at Craters of the Moon National Monument.