Cascade Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel, Callospermophilus Saturatus

Day 322: Scientific name or common name, you've said a mouthful by the time you've pronounced "Callospermophilus saturatus" or "Cascade Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel," and that's the truth! At this time of year, you'll see these critters scurrying through the subalpine meadows, their cheeks bulging with food as they "bulk up" for winter hibernation. A distinct species from other golden-mantled ground squirrels, the Cascade Golden-Mantled Squirrel is endemic to Washington and British Columbia and is the largest member of the sub-genus. Although their primary diet consists of fungi and vegetation, they also consume seeds, fruit and occasionally carrion. As their name implies, they live in underground burrows.

MeadoWatchers

Day 321: I wasn't the only one out yesterday inventorying plants. These two were conducting a survey of blue huckleberries, taking representative samples from each bush, and from what I'd taste-tested on my way up the hill, I'd imagine that the crop got a five-star rating for both flavour and abundance. I'd actually gone past the bears without noticing them. They were quite a ways down-slope and possibly had been out of sight over the roll as I went by. I stopped to answer a visitor's questions, and another pair of hikers coming up from below spotted the pair and beckoned us down to see them. Even though I see at least one every year, I still enjoy watching the cubs as they learn how to be bears, tagging along behind mom, imitating her berry-picking techniques. Berry season is the best time for sightings, for obvious reasons! Something must have startled these two, though. After a few minutes of providing photo ops for visitors and rangers alike, they loped off downhill and disappeared over the rise.