Squirrels?

What's up next? I thought maybe squirrels for a couple of days. The Abert's Squirrel, also known as the "tassel-eared" tree squirrel is confined to the Ponderosa Pine forests on Colorado Plateau and the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico; its range extends south in the Sierra Madre Occidental to Chihuahua and Durango in Mexico. Abert's Squirrel also extends a short distance into Wyoming where ponderosa pine  is present. Abert's squirrels transplanted to the Graham and Catalina mountains of Southern Arizona have established stable populations. It feeds exclusively on the various parts of Ponderosa Pine trees:

Abert's Squirrel

photo taken in the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff

The Arizona Grey Squirrel found only in Arizona is found in deciduous and mixed forests of Arizona and New Mexico:

Arizona Grey Squirrel

photo taken in the Tucson Mountains

The Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel is a subspecies of Antelope Squirrels that is restricted to the Sonoran desert or scrub areas. It adapts to the hot desert sun by keeping its tail bent up over its back as an umbrella. It can also withstand body temperatures up to 104 degrees:

Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel

photo taken at The Azure Gate, Tucson

Then we get the Round Tail Ground Squirrel of the Southwestern deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. Like other "ground squirrels" it dig holes in the ground in which to escape predators -- or people. Usually these holes are under Prickly Pear Cactus, Creosote Bushes, or Mesquite Trees. These holes also serve as "dens" for the winter months and the hottest parts of summer days. They eat just about any vegetation, including berries, as well as any insects they can find. This one climbed a Creosote Bush to get at the berries:

Round Tail Ground Squirrel

photo take at The Azure Gate, Tucson