Franklin's Dance

This animal is currently in the Crex spotlight after years of invisibility. It's no wonder since according to one source only 10% of their time is above ground. Thanks to the prescribed burn we will be able to watch for her (?) over the next couple weeks. Credit goes to Kathy for seeing it and giving me a location. I walked the road with only a pair of binoculars while searching for it. There was a fox hunting and I started to follow it. When I turned around the Franklin's was standing upright half way between me and the truck where the camera gear was located. Fortunately it was hungry and allowed me to watch and record it for several minutes.

Dale

Franklin's Ground Squirrel

Some people might not think the sighting of a squirrel is all that spectacular but this rare sighting made our day as Windchill and I roamed the Meadows yesterday. This is the first time I have ever seen a Franklin's Ground Squirrel.

The WDNR lists it as a mammal of special concern and is state ranked as an S2: Imperiled in Wisconsin because of extreme rarity (6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals or acres) or because of some factor(s) making the species very vulnerable to extirpation from the state.

We first noticed it in a newly burned area where it's light color stood out against the blackened prairie ground. Had it been in an unburned area, we probably would have never noticed it.

It ran across the road back into the relative safety of the refuge with it's thick prairie grasses, hopefully a little safer from predators.



For more information visit the WDNR website:
Franklin's Ground Squirrel

Kathy J.