I present to you: The Western Gray Squirrel

Sciurus griseus as they are known within KINGDOM ANIMALIA! Turns out a few of my students want to spell it "Anamalia". Yeesh.

I think I mentioned them before on this blog. Or maybe it was in Tombololo...but anyways, these creatures and the ever present pine forests are one of the most obvious reminders I am not on the east coast anymore.
Their genus name, Sciurus, comes from the Greek skiouros meaning shadow-tailed because they seem to sit in the shadow of their tail. A little ominous no?

They scamper around campus all the time and today I finally had my camera ready for a picture. The first thing you notice is that these are much larger (~ one foot excluding the tail!) than their cousins the eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis. They have bigger ears and darker gray coloring throughout the body. The western squirrel, on the left of the image, has a darker and bushier tail than the eastern.
Online it says western squirrels are very nervous and skittish but I guess the ones on campus are quite habituated to sharing the grounds with lots of people. Also, know these squirrels can bark?

In other news I am really glad there is going to be Thanksgiving Break soon! I am getting really excited for next term! I am going to dive headfirst into disease! I am so looking forward to it!!