It is difficult not to love squirrels – they are just simply AWESOME!

Big bushy tails, relentless nut foraging, endearing nut hiding/losing – what is there not to love?!

My love of squirrels was fuelled three-fold during our recent trip to California, where the State just seems to be overrun by these adorable little critters.  Unlike here in the UK, where the invasive eastern grey squirrel has banished the indigenous red squirrel to a few small parts of the country, meaning that for most of us, a squirrel = a grey squirrel, California boasts being home to a multitude of different species, and also to many types of chipmunks and marmots.

Here as just some of the squirrels (and some other cute rodents) we met in our trip…

Western Grey Squirrel (Yosemite Nat’l Park

Californian Ground Squirrel (Yosemite Nat’l Park, Cambria, Lassen Nat’l Park, CA)

Douglas Squirrel or Chickaree (Lassen Nat’l Park, CA)

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Lassen Nat’l Park, CA)

Yellow-bellied Marmot (Lassen Nat’l Park, CA & Mount Rainier, WA)

Chipmunk (Lassen Nat’l Park, CA)

And remember, if you are visiting any of the US’ fabulous National Parks, DON’T FEED THE SQUIRRELS (or, indeed, any of the critters living there)! This is why…

These are some of the squirrels that we have closer to home in the UK: