Wildlife in the backyard (photo replaced)

Earlier this week, it was Lightning Bugs. This morning I saw something new. I opened this bathroom window this morning and saw a critter about the size of a raccoon but definitely not a raccoon. It had brown coarse fur and a small head like a rabbit but no rabbit ears. When it scurried away it revealed a thick round tail about 8" long.

It occurred to me it might be a Porcupine. The drawing in the dictionary seemed to confirm this hunch - if we imagined that his quills were relaxed and laying flat on his body. After Carl and Karen left for home this morning, I looked online to confirm it. The photos online showed quills being quite obvious. It also said that Porcupines are in the West part of the US and the Northeast, but not the Southeast. There went my theory.

So I did some more research for mammals in our area. Carl and Karen were right! It was a Groundhog- or often called a Woodchuck. In my mind, Groundhogs and Prairie Dogs are the same thing. My mind is wrong!!

This photo is of a baby Groundhog in the neighbor's yard. There were 2 or 3 babies running around quite boldly for a week or so but now I haven't seen them for over a week.

It just keeps getting more interesting here all the time.