Wild Wildlife: A Surprise for Both of Us

On a walk the other day I spotted a grey squirrel enjoying what at first appeared to be the innards of a green softball. Then I realized that the squirrel was actually eating an Osage orange.


These are amazing, bizarre fruits that look kind of like lumpy green grapefruit and are in fact about the size of giant grapefruits—or softballs. I’m familiar with them (unlike most people) because there were several Osage orange trees in the arboretum near my college, and I spent many pleasant afternoons walking through the Arb and listening to the alarming thud of enormous, heavy fruit falling down quite near my head. (Although that’s nothing compared to the time a tree fell a few yards from where a friend and I sat by the creek. Ah, those soothing college rambles…) –I’d never before seen anything eating one, though. I whipped out my camera to document the moment, but the squirrel noticed my interest:


I think it believed that I had designs on its meal, because after glaring indignantly at me, it grabbed the fruit and dragged it further off into the little growth of trees, all the while scowling at me over its shoulder.


I love nature; it’s so peaceful.

{A note: I do write all text and take all pictures. Please do not reproduce either without my permission.}