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22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Must Be a Thorn in My Paw

I happened upon the scene just as this adorable Round-tailed Ground Squirrel kit was sitting near its burrow examining the pad of one of its paws. It appears it may have something imbedded there or was feeling pain and was curious as to what the problem was. The Sonoran Desert is, of course, fully of thorny vegetation, and the paws of the resident creatures must probably be inspected and cleaned periodically.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2024
Date Uploaded: 10.2024
Photo Location: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States of America
Copyright: © Jim Burns