Mokka mit Schlag » Mammals

This critter was in our garden when I walked Thor this morning; then he rambled up to the AC for a nap:

Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger
Huntington Central Park, 2009-01-03

Desert Cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii
William R. Mason Regional Park, 2008-07-07

These rabbits are all over Orange County. It took me a while to ID them though.
At first I thought they might be released pets like the rabbits back home in Prospect Park, but apparently they’re native. Despite the name, they seem to do quite well in local well-irrigated suburban parks, subdivisions, and chaparral.

The key fieldmark by which you can recognize them is the rufous fur on the back of the neck and the forelegs. The tail also shows a dark patch which isn’t present in an Eastern Cottontail or a Brush Rabbit, but that’s not always obvious if they have their tail tucked up as they usually do.

California Sea Lion, Zalophus californianus
Dana Point, 2008-03-26

Tamias Striatus, Prospect Park, April, 2007

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Blind Pond, August 12, 2006