Columbian Ground Squirrel

This little guy/gal let me get surprisingly close when I was on a hike along the Ptarmigan Cirque Trail (Kananaskis, Rocky Mountains) two days ago. I'd hoped (well, kind of!) for a Grizzly Bear, but had to make do with this little Columbian Ground Squirrel, LOL. However, we did see an area where a Grizzly had been digging up the ground - and it looked very recent : )

"This is the largest Alberta ground squirrel, similar in appearance to the Richardsons Ground Squirrel. A difference noted immediately, besides it usually slightly larger size, is the rusty orange colour around the nose which often extends to the throat and forelegs and sometimes to the undersides, although this area has more of a yellowing wash. It has a somewhat longer, more bushy, frosty, dark-tipped tail. The head and nape is a slate grey. The short, fine fur has three bands of colours, resulting in the back being a decidedly dappled yellowish grey.... Highwood Pass is a good area to find these animals." From talkaboutwildlife.ca.