Natural History Journal

Among all the wild critters likely to be encountered on any outdoor adventure in various habitats across North America, chipmunks and tree squirrels are surely among the most conspicuous.  These small, precocious, fluffy-tailed members of the rodent family are largely diurnal and often quite bold, making themselves at home in picnic areas, campgrounds and backyards everywhere that suitable habitat exists.  In most cases, their acrobatic antics and nut-collecting behavior are charming and delightful, and in my opinion these iconic creatures of the woodland are also unquestionably cute!   This fall, let's get to know a few of the most common species of tree squirrels and chipmunks likely to be encountered in North America.  (Not included in this list are the many species of ground squirrels and nocturnal flying squirrels in North America.) American Red Squirrel American Red Squirrels, distinguished by their white eye-rings and reddish fur, range across much of Ala...

Summer is upon us, and with any luck, that means vacation.  For those of us who love nature and the great outdoors, that usually means traveling to visit North America's beautiful National and State Parks.  And for the binocular-toting crowd in particular, an experience in the outdoors is not complete without a few memorable encounters with the wonderful wild animals that call these places home.  Visit any National Park in North America and a traffic jam is sure to mean one thing: Wildlife.  (Or, possibly, lack of parking spots.  But hopefully it's wildlife.)  A critter pauses along the roadside anywhere from Acadia to Joshua Tree, and all the break lights flash on. We can't help ourselves.  Wildlife enthralls us. I roll my eyes at tourists who stop their cars in Yosemite Valley to gawk at Mule Deer, a common, ho-hum species here in the West.  Yet when we visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park last year, I did the exact same thing when I sp...