It's Not a Chipmunk

It certainly looks like one though, doesn't it?

 (click to enlarge)

No, this cute little critter is a golden-mantled ground squirrel.  How can I tell the difference?  Well, for one, it's much bigger than a chipmunk, and the coloring is a little different.  Identifying wildlife is one of my favorite things to do, and I'm lucky enough to live in places where I can see a lot of wildlife.

I spotted this little guy tonight while he was romping around in my backyard.  There is a huge window above my kitchen sink that overlooks the backyard, and I was doing the dishes this evening when I saw him.  Recently the weather here has been absolutely divine with temperatures in the upper 70s.  Apparently this guy decided it was nice enough to come out and sample the tasty spring vegetation.

I haven't seen much wildlife yet this season.  Just a few hawks, some deer, a coyote, a yellow-bellied marmot, and a fox, but I have been told that Crested Butte has a huge bear problem.  In fact, there is a story that one actually got into the house I'm living in once.  Everyone here has bear-proof garbage cans.  I'd really like to see a bear, but only if I'm inside my house...and it's not.