A pretty cute moment between two very cute creatures. We spent this past weekend in Roosevelt National Forest in northern Colorado. It was a much-needed respite from what has been a pretty hectic couple of weeks for my wife and I.

There wasn’t a great variety of wildlife where we were at, unfortunately, but there were tons of these guys and squirrels. They provided a handy photo opportunity as we sat outside and just relaxed, soaking in the quiet of the forest.

The chipmunks are bundles of energy, rarely holding still except when stuffing their faces with seeds. This pair was kind enough to sit atop a log for a minute or two giving me a nice little series of images.

The least chipmunk is the smallest of chipmunks but it is also the most widespread in North America. They don’t truly hibernate during the winter, instead entering torpor (a state of reduced metabolic rate and body temperature) for long periods of time. They will wake and sustain themselves with the food they have stashed in their burrows during the winter.

A definite chill was in the air at 10,000 feet hinting at the coming change of the seasons. This little least chipmunk seemed to be well aware and was taking advantage of relatively mild conditions to get ready. It had pulled up some grass and was stuffing the seeds into its cheeks. Quite a cutie!

The least chipmunk is the smallest of chipmunks but it is also the most widespread in North America. They don’t truly hibernate during the winter, instead entering torpor (a state of reduced metabolic rate and body temperature) for long periods of time. They will wake and sustain themselves with the food they have stashed in their burrows during the winter.