| Location: |
South Dakota, Black Hills, Iron Creek Lake |
| Date: |
2010JUN03 to 2010JUN07 |
| Observer: |
Peter Leitheiser |
| Summary: |
American Red Pine Squirrel in the Black Hills (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus dakotensis) |
The most auspicious sign of red squirrel activity in the Black Hills are large piles of Ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa) pine cone cores and scales near what must be the red squirrels' favorite trees.
Although the red squirrels apparently strip pine cones elsewhere as well, leaving more little piles.
Sometimes, bones are present at the larger piles. As Fireweed observed, the red squirrels gnaw these bones. The red squirrels must have to supplement their pine-nut centered died to maintain their calcium requirements.
I dug a hole in a large pile of discarded pine cones and measured a depth of 31 cm (about one foot) until I reached dirt. I must have dug some good pine cones out of the pile because the squirrel began making trips to my hole.
The squirrel mostly brought the cones back to one tree to eat.
Since he lives near a hiking trail, he's certainly seen people before,
but did call at me a few times, a call that reminded me vaguely of a WWII airplane making a strafing run.
Then made a few more squeaks and went on with his business.
The only item I saw him eat were pine cones.
Report and Photos by Peter Leitheiser