This week, we dove into some learning on rodents to try to figure this out. We believe these creatures are ground squirrels based on information we learned comparing ground squirrels, groundhogs, and gophers. We think they are ground squirrels because:
- they are friendly and social. They play with each other and spend time together, which we learned ground squirrels do. Groundhogs and gophers are solitary creatures.
- they have a bunch of entrances and exits
- they didn't have a pink, hairless tail like a rat (which gophers have)
- when the lawn mower was going around, they did a high-pitched squeak every 3 seconds (gophers don't make much noise)
- we didn't see teeth (groundhogs and gophers always show their teeth, even if their mouths are closed)
- they have reddish-brown fur
Here are some pictures and quotes of us working out on the land to observe and document ground squirrels:
Student Quotes
"I liked seeing the ground squirrels up close." ~ LD
"I loved how playful and cheerful they were." ~ Hugh
"I loved them. It was like a fighting match. It getting intense. They were flipping each other." ~ SS
"I loved how they run. Their tails went up and down." ~ Viljo
"I liked how close we could get to them and that we didn't have to just learn about them on the computer." ~ Milu
"I like the observing. I felt like a scientist." ~ MM
"I loved how we could research them because I really love animals." ~ Fox
"I loved how we got to get so close to them and see how they act." ~ Felicia
"I liked how we got to see how they live up close." ~ Davyd
