Earth Almanac: March/April 2007

Feisty Squirrels

In the rocky shrublands and piñon-juniper woodlands of our desert West and Southwest, young male white-tailed antelope squirrels are sparring in preparation for breeding. Chattering, chirping, and growling, they box and wrestle until they establish a dominance hierarchy. Antelope squirrels are the only ground-nesting squirrel genus that can avoid hibernating in winter and estivating in summer. They deal with heat by shading themselves with their tails, anointing their faces with saliva, climbing bushes to take better advantage of airflow, and conserving water with extremely efficient kidneys. Unlike other squirrels, they don’t usually dive into their burrows or climb vegetation when threatened. Instead they run, tails up to reveal their flashy white undersurfaces resembling the rumps of their namesake.

Pansies in Bloom

For two or three weeks in early spring, woodlands, ravines, and stream banks from New York to Wisconsin and south to Texas and Florida brighten with the prolific blooms of eastern redbud, also known as “forest pansy.” They’re not red, but range from pink to pale purple, sometimes even white. Flowers, pollinated by bees, appear before the heart-shaped leaves. The fruits, which resemble pea pods and contain seeds relished by such birds as quail, pheasants, and goldfinches, may linger on the tree for more than a year. Members of the pea family, these medium-size trees enrich the soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, a fact that adds to their popularity as ornamentals inside and outside their natural range. Flowers, pickled or raw, are popular in salads.