Gray Squirrel and Eastern Chipmunk size comparison

It has been a busy week and I have not posted as I should have. I only have a single camera out but have a nice pair of photos that show the large size difference between gray squirrels and Eastern chipmunks. I used Squirrel Paste again as bait. These photos were in our backyard in Seneca Falls, NY.

Gray squirrel
(6/11, Seneca Falls NY)

Gray Squirrel: One folk name I have heard for this species is "bushytail" and this photo sure shows why. The tail is as large as the body and perhaps acts as a lure or decoy for predators to focus their attention away from the more important parts of the squirrel anatomy. Anecdotally, we do not seem to have as many gray squirrels this year as we usually do. Perhaps I am just not watching closely enough.

Eastern chipmunk
(6/11, Seneca Falls, NY)

Eastern chipmunk: Despite the name, this guy is also a squirrel. As this photo shows, they are good climbers although they burrow underground. This is our only species of chipmunk in New York. We seem to have more chipmunks than usual this year.