Dligi - red squirrels

McCarthy, AK -- Dligi, red squirrels, are among the most active mammals in interior Alaska in December. Rather than hibernating, they rely on stored food caches, or middens, full of spruce cones gathered in summer and fall. They defend these middens all winter, so I often hear their loud territorial chattering throughout the forest. Their high metabolism, dense fur, and habit of nesting in insulated tree cavities or underground chambers allow them to remain active in temperatures well below zero.