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This week, we’re finally seeing some snow showers, though they’re arriving a bit late. Typically, by this time of year, a blanket of snow covers the ground. Last Saturday night, we received about an inch, but the earth remains too warm for it to stick around. I’m curious to see if the rest of winter will rush to make up for this delayed start.
Meanwhile, in a state where winter is simply a myth, it seems Texas couldn’t resist having its own version of Fat Bear Week. Enter Fat Squirrel Week, the Lone Star State’s quirky answer.
Indeed, it’s all about the chunky squirrels there. After all, they do say that everything is bigger in Texas.
We have our share of squirrels here, too. However, Texas boasts the large southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger), while our local variety is the much smaller American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). I honed my hunting skills by outsmarting the hefty Iowa fox squirrels and the smaller gray squirrels, but our petite red squirrels are more like cherished neighbors than targets.
Now, I’m eagerly waiting to see if my good friend and fellow PJMedia writer, Stephen Green, will introduce a Fat Gator Week to his Florida Man Friday repertoire.
“I think no matter what state you come from, a park ranger is a park ranger, and we love a fluffy animal when it comes to winter-time.”
Fat squirrels it is, then. They say everything’s bigger in Texas.
For the competition’s inaugural year, Brannon told Alaska’s News Source that the 16 selected squirrels were picked from a variety of Texas state parks.
“Unsimilarly, obviously, we don’t have all the same squirrels in the same park, so we had each park kind of post and prompt their public to nominate a squirrel they’ve seen in the last year,” she said.
“Hopefully next year, we’ll have squirrels and more of a heads-up for people and our staff to be on the lookout for fat squirrels in the park.”
Unlike Fat Bear Week, squirrels will be voted for based on cuteness and “heftiness,” rather than the pounds packed on before winter.
We have some local squirrels, of course. But the Texas squirrels are the big southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger), while ours are the American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which are much smaller. I learned to hunt by matching my wits against big Iowa fox squirrels and the smaller gray squirrels, but our reds up here are too small to bother with; besides, we kind of like having them around.
Now I’m waiting to see if my good friend and PJMedia colleague Stephen Green will find a Fat Gator Week for his Florida Man Friday posts.
Alaska Man score: There are no moose in Texas. Sorry, Texas.