October 10, 2008: Squirrel mama protects baby

Undertoad • Oct 10, 2008 11:07 am
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What's this? Mama finds a terrible DOG has the baby in its clutches! What to do? Tail up! ATTACK!

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EN-GARDE!!! With no fear, mama jumps the beast.

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And gives it just enough what-fer to make her a bigger item to deal with. "Hey! GET OFF ME!" With dog distracted, the little one scampers.

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And when it's over, mama helps the little one away - while the dog is left wondering... WTF JUST HAPPENED!?
Pico and ME • Oct 10, 2008 11:14 am
I almost had one give me a what-for. It was hilarious. I was following it along as it was making its way on one of the wires over my yard. I was 'chitchatting' with it the whole time. When it got to the pole it actually scrambled down to the top of the fence to 'talk back' and swish its tail dangerously at me. They are such interesting little creatures.
Stress Puppy • Oct 10, 2008 11:21 am
Reminds me of this story:

http://www.vtwinmama.com/demonic_squirrel_riding_story.htm
glatt • Oct 10, 2008 11:35 am
Note to self:

When you see a squirrel with it's tail flat against it's back and legs splayed out, just back away quickly. That sucker's about to strike.
glatt • Oct 10, 2008 11:40 am
Oh, and by the way UT, this is an outstanding IotD. Really tells a story and is visually striking. Good job.
jinx • Oct 10, 2008 11:57 am
Awesome.
I wish the mama squirrels around here were that protective....
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 10, 2008 12:00 pm
Just rats with bushy tails, hairy knuckles and bloodshot eyes... but tasty.
DanaC • Oct 10, 2008 12:03 pm
That was brilliant. Best IoTD in ages!

@Bruce: I rather like rats. I mean, I don't like them in my house...but domesticated pet rats are wonderful. I wouldn't own one because of the whole pissing-as-they-walk thing, but they're wonderful creatures to watch. Really fascinating.
Undertoad • Oct 10, 2008 12:06 pm
I keep trying to figure out the dog's intentions. Sometimes a dog will just have fun with something, if it's not hungry. This dog looks to have a nice shiny coat and isn't very skinny. If he's not a pet, he probably lives near a fish processing station or something.

The dog has ears forward. It looks like it might be in the playful crouch, where dogs put their butt in the air and shoulders down. It may just have fun with the baby, or play with it until it squeaks enough to set off a prey instinct.
Cicero • Oct 10, 2008 12:11 pm
The dog does look like it's playing. But it also looks dumb enough to play a baby squirrel to death.
DanaC • Oct 10, 2008 12:16 pm
Pilau once played a crippled blackbird almost to death *shudders*
BrianR • Oct 10, 2008 2:54 pm
Did you say "in the house?"
Treasenuak • Oct 10, 2008 3:30 pm
Way to GO, Momma Squirrel!! Kick the bad doggy's BUTT!! -cheers- ... and should I be concerned with the fact no one's posted a recipe yet??
monster • Oct 10, 2008 4:26 pm
Treasenuak;492117 wrote:
Way to GO, Momma Squirrel!! Kick the bad doggy's BUTT!! -cheers- ... and should I be concerned with the fact no one's posted a recipe yet??


best eaten raw, none o' that fancy dressing malarkey
monster • Oct 10, 2008 4:29 pm
great images, UT. the squirrels look pretty darn healthy too, must be a good place to live
Juniper • Oct 10, 2008 6:13 pm
My dog (who looks very similar to that one) has killed several such critters, and I promise, he's not underfed or vicious. Just playing, the big dummy. :(
BigV • Oct 10, 2008 6:29 pm
I wonder how many of these I'll see when I finally get out of the office.....eventually...
Elspode • Oct 10, 2008 7:38 pm
Sushi squirrel is not a good idea...

Filleted, breaded, and browned in olive oil with a bit of rosemary and garlic...nom nom nom.
TheMercenary • Oct 10, 2008 7:39 pm
How to skin a squirrel

http://bayoubill.com/archives/2002/080502column.html

How to cook them

http://bayoubill.com/archives/2001/81501squirrel.html
binky • Oct 10, 2008 7:52 pm
My cat in when I lived in Oregon brought a snake in to "play" with, took him forever to kill the nasty thing.
TheMercenary • Oct 10, 2008 8:33 pm
binky;492221 wrote:
My cat, in when I lived in Oregon, brought a snake in to "play" with, took him forever to kill the nasty thing.

let the comma be your friend. :D
zippyt • Oct 10, 2008 9:11 pm
Ha Ha !! Moma Squirle WHOOPED his ASS !!!!!
It does look like the dog WAS in play mode , But Momma Squirle aint Haven ANNY of THAT !!!


Oh and squirle is Best cooked like beef stew , in a crock pot .
jinx • Oct 10, 2008 9:14 pm
I've only ever had it soaked in saltwater, and then fried like chicken. Huge piles of it, eaten all day while watching football.
binky • Oct 10, 2008 9:18 pm
TheMercenary;492232 wrote:
let the comma be your friend. :D


Thank you grammar cop,:flipbird:. just kidding, sorry for the run-on sentence:biggrin:
TheMercenary • Oct 10, 2008 9:24 pm
binky;492253 wrote:
Thank you grammar cop,:flipbird:. just kidding, sorry for the run-on sentence:biggrin:
I was yanking your chain. I hate grammer nazi's as much as I hate spelling nazi's. :D
squirell nutkin • Oct 10, 2008 9:39 pm
Re: post#1
I'll fuck you're shit up, bitch!


Re: the merc. Are you also hating punctuation Nazis?
;)
squirell nutkin • Oct 10, 2008 9:41 pm
jinx;492250 wrote:
I've only ever had it soaked in saltwater, and then fried like chicken. Huge piles of it, eaten all day while watching football.

Aren chew thinking of pertaters? Frenje fride pertaters?
ZenGum • Oct 10, 2008 10:42 pm
:lol: Great sequence.

I admire the fury of a small animal protecting its young. I'm pretty sure the dog was in "play mode" (which can easily be lethal to a squirrel), but still, to take on a gigantic black monster with huge fangs that outweighs you by maybe 50 to 1, is no mean feat in anyone's language (or spelling).

Oh and uncooked it would be squirrel sashimi. "Sushi" refers specifically to fish. Sashimi is any raw meat. [/fact nazi]
TheMercenary • Oct 11, 2008 8:33 am
squirell nutkin;492265 wrote:
Re: post#1
I'll fuck you're shit up, bitch!


Re: the merc. Are you also hating punctuation Nazis?
;)


Yea, them too. :lol2:
sweetwater • Oct 11, 2008 9:09 am
Stress Puppy;491975 wrote:
Reminds me of this story:

http://www.vtwinmama.com/demonic_squirrel_riding_story.htm


:lol2:

I think the world can be nicely divided into bird or squirrel lovers. Human world, that is, because dogs and cats like them equally - though only as snacks or toys.
TheMercenary • Oct 11, 2008 9:15 am
I am Bird & Dog, definitely not Squirrel & Cat.
DanaC • Oct 11, 2008 9:16 am
I am Squirrel and Dog.
jinx • Oct 11, 2008 9:28 am
ZenGum;492282 wrote:

Oh and uncooked it would be squirrel sashimi. "Sushi" refers specifically to fish. Sashimi is any raw meat. [/fact nazi]


Sushi actually refers specifically to the vinegared rice.
BrianR • Oct 11, 2008 1:38 pm
All I can think of is the time my squirrel wandered down and my dog spotted it from his nap-place across my legs on the sofa. He used my testes for a launch pad and through the tears of pain, I was laughing hysterically at the look of terror that the squirrel put on just before he ran the fastest 1/4 mile of his little life. They managed three laps before I was able to get up and open the back door, enabling the gray intruder to exit and climb the blue spruce outside to safety.

No, he didn't learn his lesson; he came back again and again. The picture is of the time he came down without looking first and had to do an about-face and run back up as he noticed the dog lying in wait for him, behind some insulation batts.

Brian
Treasenuak • Oct 11, 2008 4:46 pm
My dad's got this horror story of his grandma making squirrel stew, and opening the pot to see how dinner was progressing; there was the squirrel's head, staring up at him, eyeballs and buck teeth and all, floating there at the top of the pot......
Cloud • Oct 11, 2008 4:50 pm
clearly, it are alien squirrels and dogs, controlled by the evil obelisk.
Coign • Oct 13, 2008 10:08 am
I kissed a squirrel.

[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VPsNAuLY0hw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VPsNAuLY0hw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
Cloud • Oct 13, 2008 10:10 am
Be Like the Squirrel!
Sundae • Oct 13, 2008 11:04 am
Squirrel and cat and proud!
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 13, 2008 11:52 am
I was at my car dealers this morning. They had three vehicles in the shop with squirrel damage.:eek:
Cloud • Oct 13, 2008 11:57 am
quit parking them under the walnut trees!
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 13, 2008 12:03 pm
That won't help, they eat the damn wiring. :mad:
spudcon • Oct 13, 2008 12:25 pm
Squirrels all have a death by electrocution wish. They are a problem for power companies because the break into substations and short them out with their stupid little bodies. The squirrel prophet tells them all if they die this way, there will be 72 nuts waiting for them in heaven.
Cloud • Oct 13, 2008 12:43 pm
yuk. that can't be good for them. Is the plastic coating tasty?
Shawnee123 • Oct 13, 2008 1:58 pm
I don't know, but now I want to go and try one!
BigV • Oct 13, 2008 5:14 pm
spudcon;493067 wrote:
Squirrels all have a death by electrocution wish. They are a problem for power companies because the break into substations and short them out with their stupid little bodies. The squirrel prophet tells them all if they die this way, there will be 72 nuts waiting for them in heaven.


naw... they have an overpowering urge to keep their teeth from attacking themselves, and grind them down continuousl in self defense.


A squirrels teeth grow continuously. Their incisor's will grow six inches per year, but stay short due to the constant wear they receive.
Treasenuak • Oct 13, 2008 5:45 pm
just like every other rodent I know of... -shudder-
SPUCK • Oct 13, 2008 6:51 pm
I bet that's rat damage not squirrel damage. Rats fit under car dashes and hoods better.
xoxoxoBruce • Oct 13, 2008 11:34 pm
Squirrels and chipmunks climb better than rats. But all the little bastards love the taste of plastic wire insulation, for some reason. :yum:
ZenGum • Oct 14, 2008 12:15 am
I'm getting worried about these rodents, people. It's time to ring the alarm bell.

I've read (I think in Enemy at the Gates, recommended) that as the Germans advanced through Russia, a large force of tanks (in the hundreds) was temporarily crippled when, during a few days recovery period, field mice chewed through many of the engine cables, which was not noticed until the tanks were given their next orders to advance.

Also, Herodotus' The Histories relates how an army (in old Egypt, I think) was defeated in a campaign when a plague of mice chewed all the leather straps off their equipment.

In recent times, Cellarites have reported direct attacks and even repeated home invasions by rodents.

Now, they are beginning their campaign by first picking off our allies, the dogs.

Clearly this is a species with evil intentions towards us. They are flexing their muscles, practicing their co-ordination, rehearsing their attacks. They are angry. They have defeated us in battle before.

This is no time for appeasement.

We are in trouble. Conventional firearms will be ineffective against them. No barrier is impenetrable to their evil hordes. Arm yourselves for the coming battle, my fellow humans. I recommend the nine-iron. Or fire.

To BATTLE!
SPUCK • Oct 14, 2008 4:57 am
I have the stew pot!