Avi Kwa Ame National Monument ~ Preparing for What’s Ahead

NOVEMBER 2024

Cooler weather and shorter days are prompting many animals in Avi Kwa Ame to make winter preparations. White-tailed antelope squirrels do not hibernate and have been busily preparing all year, starting with copious seed, grain, and nut gathering in the spring (desert almond seeds are a special favorite). They store their spring and summer bounty in multiple underground pantries surrounding their houses for use all year-long.

As autumn unfolds, you can catch the squirrels enthusiastically darting to and fro, hunting for insects and small lizards and nibbling on the available foliage, while scrounging for soft leaves, dried summer grasses, and even animal fur to insulate the cozy nests inside their extensive burrows.