Local fauna

Black-tailed prairie dogs near our house

Don't leave the page! Although most animals featured here are rodents (sorry Clementine), they are very nice, and the chipmunks in the video at the bottom are officially cute.  The prairie dogs definitely have the sparsest following.  They live in big colonies and people like to get them gassed as they dig up your "yard" and infect your dog with diseases.  We like them as they are roly poly versions of the meerkats at Edinburgh zoo.  Click on the photos to get a better view!
You have to go up to the alpine tundra to see the marmots, and now they are fast asleep, which they remain for up to 7 months over the winter.

Yellow-bellied marmot in Rocky Mountain National Park

Stellar's jay, lovely flashes of blue

Golden-mantled ground squirrel in Rocky Mountain National Park - interest in our picnic

 The fox squirrels are very common around us and are large and handsome with long tails.

Fox squirrel near our house

We LOVE the chipmunks, and I think they love us, or at least our picnic: see below for some close up action with a least chipmunk: