Richardson ground squirrel at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Saskatoon
Better known under the common name ‘gopher’, ground squirrels were named after the Scottish naturalist Sir John Richardson. They prefer prairie habitat with short grass so they can betters see predators. And there are many: coyotes, foxes, hawks. This fellow had a burrow right beside the Wanuskewing Park interpretive centre. I placed my tripod downhill from where the animal was grazing, to be able to take the image at the same level. When photographing small critters, whether they are animals or children, they look much better if you bring the camera to their level.
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