To the list of useful devices for good wildlife photography, I may have added one more: supply your subject with a (possibly hallucinogenic) mushroom.
The Columbian Ground Squirrel is a skittish little beastie that is forever on guard and ready to vanish. So, it was unexpected that one nonchalantly allowed me to move closer and closer as I snapped pictures. When it finally had had enough of this encroachment, its departure was chaotic, heading first one way, then the other, then hiding its head in its tail. All of this was rather odd.
It was only when I looked at the pictures that I realized it had been eating a mushroom. Might this have affected its judgement?
A Columbian Ground Squirrel finishes off its mushroom in a state of some confusion.
He/she is beautiful. Thank you for the lovely close-up
This is really interesting. Confusion and disorientation can be symptoms of acute liver failure from poison mushrooms. I always thought animals somehow knew what was good to eat but apparently not always….