Not Your Average Rodent! - now feat. Albinism!

Great catch Ryan.

Where do you live? There might be something of interest in this scientific report, and it could be worth reporting your find to a university.

Thanks for the kind comments!

@revdocjim: lol! That phrase doesn't quite roll off the tongue when substituting "rock chuck" for "wood chuck"!! However, having grown up in an area replete with rock chucks, we do strongly prefer your version!   

@brettania: Thanks for the advice -- I will definitely contact the local community college...they may, or may not, be interested in the info. If not, I suppose they could point me in the right direction. I will probably also contact the local fish & game officials maybe...?

As for your first question, I live in southern Idaho, near the city of Twin Falls. These critters were photographed in the nearby Snake River canyon. The canyon is (more or less) the only attraction our little town has to offer. It is the place where Evel Knievel famously "attempted" to jump the canyon back in the mid-70s. Nowadays, the canyon (or more specifically, the bridge over the canyon) is somewhat famous as the only span in the US that can be legally BASE jumped year round.

Here's a couple of quick and dirty photos of the canyon/bridge. Really quite spectacular sights, but having grown up "in the shadow" of them, they seem very banal to me!   

Snake River Canyon



Perrine Bridge

You lucky %%^&&!!

What beautiful scenery right in your backyard, it must give you some great photo opportunities.

Back on track, shot #3 is great, as has been said, but worth repeating, really good bokeh.

Once again, thanks all for the comments.

@Matt: They really aren't found anywhere but in (and around) the canyon(s) in this area. Probably because of the very high availability of 'cover' ie. rocks. My guess is that the coyotes that roam the high plains around here keep them from spreading.

Let me tell ya though - inside the canyon, there are TONS of them! There's a golf course about a mile up river from where I spotted this guy -- as I drove by one particular hole, there must have been 50+ 'chucks' knockin' about the fairway! There are so many that the golf course management offers a small 'bounty' for anyone bringing them carcasses!

LECHER wrote: Anybody ever shoot a rock-in-one? Great pictures. #2 is very sureal. Jack

Haha! I'm sure it's happened!

I have seen (on more than one occasion) a rockchuck 'swipe' a ball from the fairway! Not sure if there's a rule in book that covers that one...penalty stroke and go to the drop zone?!

ryangeer wrote: Haha! I'm sure it's happened! I have seen (on more than one occasion) a rockchuck 'swipe' a ball from the fairway! Not sure if there's a rule in book that covers that one...penalty stroke and go to the drop zone?!

Haha, a buddy of mine once had his ball eaten by an elk while playing in Estes Park, CO. He tells me that he turned around and announced to the rest of his foursome that he wasn't taking a penalty stroke and just dropped a new ball where his other was eaten once the elks moved on.