Ground squirrels belong to the same family with marmots. This work shows a Columbian Ground Squirrel, which is easily distinguished from other ground squirrels by its larger size and distinctive coloration of reddish-brown fur on the nose, forelegs, and hindquarters.

I saw this cute looking chap at the wind-swept prairies of Waterton Lakes National Park some years ago and remember it was very entertaining to watch. This little guy was stretching to its full tallness, cautiously checking if it’s safe to leave the burrow. What a fun pose for creating an artwork. It was a lot of fun for me to do this scratchboard study of the animal and learn a little more about the species.