Squirrel!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Currently we have a bobtailed squirrel in our yard, who has been around for a few months.  I gather the long end was lost to some predator, so this is a survivor of a great escape.  :D  I saw the bobtailed squirrel on the hopper feeder when I went out to get my cup of tea. 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

My grandmother used to have one that lived by her house. We liked him enough that we would scold other squirrels that tried to fight him! (Not that he really needed the help - that was the buffest squirrel I've ever seen.)

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I've seen this one chasing long-tailed squirrels around trees.

Perhaps the more assertive and athletic squirrels are better equipped to survive predation.

Re: Yes ...

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

It succeeded its bluff check with the twitchy tail.

"This isn't meat, it's a boa."

Re: Yes ...

[(Anonymous)]

We had guessed that ours got a workout from balancing without the tail, and having to compensate with muscle power.

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

That is plausible. It's definitely a hardship for a squirrel to lose the balancing aspect of the tail.

Re: Yes ...

[(Anonymous)]

Actually come to think of it, a lost tail may increase agressive behavior towards other squirrels.

There was an episode of My Car From Hell where the deaf cat kept attacking the family's partially paralyzed cat (she couldn't signal with her tail, but was able to walk), and part of the problem was the communication failur because the second cat couldn't emote properly with the bad tail. (Also, the first cat needed more/better toys.)

A squirrel with a missing tail wouldn't be able to do some territorial displays (at least) and might then have to resort to more aggressive displays (i.e. direct attacks). A year or two of that would result in some good combat skills.

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Well reasoned! Squirrels do seem to communicate much with their tails.

Re: Yes ...

[(Anonymous)]

If you ever have the chance to catch an episode or two, that show may provide some interesting ideas for the superkittens stories, or ones involving catfolk soups (or even the difficulties of interspecies cohabitation). Plus, I bet T-American Jackson Galaxy has a bunch of cat primal soups as consultants/film crew/etc.