Central Texas Rock Squirrel

[Tom Barry]

Came to the patio fountain for a sip this morning:

Central Texas Rock Squirrel by tombarry975, on Flickr

[Geoff F]

Good clarity and exposure.

[bnnrcn]

Its hair on its back is so shiny and clear that my eyes first go there instead of the head. Nice image

[IzzieK]

Hmmm...I think it is OK, Binnur...I like the exposure and the eyes and hair got it all...

[Tom Barry]

Thanks, all, for taking the time to look and comment!

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[Downrigger]

Nice, Tom. Very well done. Do these pretty things coexist with red squirrels or grey squirrels, or do they own the niche down there?

[GBO25]

Nice eye contact and I like the way you got it kinda framed in the wire behind it. Good urban wildlife shot.

[John 2]

Nice capture.

[Barbara Ponder]

Great shot! I 've never seen one that color.

[deetheturk]

Nice capture Tom, this is a first for me bud, thank's for sharing

[Tom Barry]

Nice, Tom. Very well done. Do these pretty things coexist with red squirrels or grey squirrels, or do they own the niche down there?

Thanks for the kind words. The rock squirrels - which I think are the largest squirrels - and gray squirrels share the habitat. But the rock squirrels prefer to live in, aptly, rocky places and while they can climb into the trees, typically don't. There are three color variations of rock squirrel in Texas. In northern and eastern Texas, they are brindle. In Central Texas, they are partly black and partly brindle. In the far West, in the Big Bend area, they are solid black. In my suburban area west of Austin, they live in steep rocky gullies leading down to Barton Creek. One of those gullies is right across the street from our home.

[NorthernFocus]

Never heard of those guys. It has some really long guard hair. Interesting coloration. Nice job capturing the details.