This photo was taken at Stone Valley in Colton. It shows a spot in the snow where a small rodent of some kind would have buried itself. Small rodents, like chipmunks, use the snow cover to burrow into in the winter. Not only does snow make a great insulator for protection from the cold (it contains lots of air) but it also provides protection from potential predators. I took this photo because I spent a good deal of time waiting to see if a chipmunk would emerge, but it was snowing so much the hole was getting covered! The snow was at least three feet deep in some places, so there were plenty of hiding spots for these animals.