Curious gopher sniffs the camera left at her den entrance

This beautiful little animal is often referred to as a gopher, along with many species of rodent that are closely related. But more precisely, this is a Columbian ground squirrel, common to Southwestern United States and certain regions in Canada. This is a female living in British Columbia, Canada. She has made her den in the ground, beneath the mountains near the town of Fernie.
She is a proud mother to three babies that play in the sun near the den during the day. They are tiny little balls of fur that are completely adorable. But when anyone or anything appears near the den, the babies quickly dash for cover. The mother comes out to explore and graze. She will need lots of food so that she can produce a constant supply of milk for her babies.
These ground squirrels spend 8-9 months hibernating. They emerge in the summer months, emaciated from many months with no food. Her fat stores will carry her through this long sleep. Her young will be born during this hibernation and they will emerge with their mother in the late spring.
Ground squirrels build impressive burrows, consisting of a nest and another chamber for toilet activities. In constructing a burrow, the ground squirrel will excavate 4-12kg (9-27 lbs) of soil. Expansion of these burrows in later years will result in an even greater amount of soil being excavated. The nests are lined with grasses and other vegetation.
Social animals, they will often greet each other with prolonged touching of their mouths and noses. This behaviour resembles kissing.