Tailless Squirrel

Yes, this is BirdingGirl, but I couldn't help myself- I had to share these cute pictures of a squirrel without a tail. My boyfriend noticed her (assuming it's a her based on the way her 'friend' was behaving...) while we were stopped shooting the cardinal. I did a few Google searches and found that they're pretty common, but this one's tail was truly non-existent, whereas others I've seen still had a stump. She got around without a tail better than you might expect- my boyfriend even thought she resembled a koala bear. She flew up and down the trunk and branches of the trees as though nothing was missing. I'm curious if this is a birth defect, or if she lost her tail due to an accident. Anyway, she was just too cute to watch and I hope you feel the same way about these squirrel pics that somehow infiltrated BirdingGirl.

Aww- they're kissing!

Here's a close-up of the bare bum :(