This was one fast-moving little creature. While in Katmai National Park and Preserve, I spotted quite a few of them but they were not ones to linger. They would dart in and out of their holes, rarely stopping at all. This one let me get one capture before running off on its summer errands.
The arctic ground squirrel is a fascinating little creature. It hibernates for 7 to 8 months out of the year. During that time, its core body temperature actually will drop to below freezing!
This is called supercooling and during that time it will have body temperatures down to 27 degrees, the lowest body temperature known in any mammal. Its heart-rate will drop to a mere one beat per minute while hibernating as well.
