I kept waiting for Spunky to get back in shape, but actually she never did. She continued to look like she was nursing, and recently seemed to be getting even larger and pinker. Here's how she looked on July 2: very pink in the belly, with strange discolorations and hair loss starting to appear on her backside:
After that I actually didn't see Spunky for a while but wasn't particularly concerned since I hadn't been around much myself this week, for various reasons such as rainy days and a busy appointment schedule. But when she was not around last Sunday I began to worry about her whereabouts .
Bernie, who was there earlier, said that he had not seen her, but had seen a small squirrel with
Spunky's coloring, that he thought it might be one of her babies. He mentioned that it had strange discolorations on its behind, which sounded like the way Spunky was looking the last time I saw her. Could the baby have developed the same discolorations as its mother due to something in their nest? Bernie said that it took exactly one nut then disappeared back into the hole in the tree and would not come down again. Hmmm...
Later, as we were getting ready to depart, we decided to go back one last time to look for Spunky. This time the little squirrel that Bernie had been describing came down and was very hungry. Then it finally dawned on us that this little squirrel was not a baby at all, but actually Spunky herself! She had been so much bigger the last time we'd seen her.
Yes, it was definitely her face, and her behavior. No doubt about it.
Helloooooo! It's meeeee!! Spunky!!!
But it was a new, sleeker and svelter Spunky!
So we decided that Spunky must have given birth. Now I'm trying to do the math, and figure out how she pulled this one off. Squirrels are amazing and way too difficult for us poor humans to fully figure out. :)
July 17
Spunky is looking beautiful again.
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