Eurasian red squirrel! Look at those ear tufts!! They strip the seeds from conifer cones and crack hazelnuts with their sharp teeth. Mushrooms, berries, flowers, vegetables, shoots, sap, nuts, seeds, and an occasional bird’s egg make up the rest of their diet; as they forage, they cache extra food in “middens”, tucked into nooks in trees and other hidden places.
[ID: an illustration of a red squirrel perched on a tree stump, facing to the right with a smiling expression. The stump has moss and mushrooms growing on it, and the background is a deep green tree. Below is a short video of a red squirrel foraging. End.]
Even with months and dates, it's never easy to know exacly when Seasons change. Like Spring which officially this year is supposed to be (around here) the 19th of Mars. But Native people from the mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere, can have a hint observing animals… like this little Red Squirrel (AKA our Groundhog) when emerging from the snow, who can easily certify that Spring is at our doors.
Two years ago it was on February 18th… 2022. And this year, February 12th, 2024. So yeah, Spring is just around the corner guys.