What Am I?

I saw this western animal on both the Donner Lake and the Mount Judah hikes in California last week.  Can you guess it?  It is not an easy one to guess from some verse, that is for sure.

Here is a chance to earn your stripes

Come on, think hard, suppress those gripes

For my bright stripes are really clear

You'll notice them, I say with cheer

So are you thinking smelly skunk?

Guess once again if so you thunk

Here's one important little clue

That I'll give right now to just you,

That just might your answer augment:

I am, in fact, a small rodent

So now is it you guess chipmunk

Instead of black and bright white skunk?

Well, you are indeed getting close

Try once more before I expose

The answer to your inquiring mind

So you may guess if so inclined

Around my neck's a golden hue

And sorry, that's my final clue!

It's like I have a shawl of gold

Quite lovely, if I am so bold

Yeah, I know

this is a tough

one unless you

have seen one

of these guys in

the west

and thought "chipmunk,"

and then looked it up

in a field guide.

Well, scroll

D

O

W

N

to catch the

answer.

.

.

.

Well, the answer I now unfurl:

A cute golden-mantled ground squirrel

One of these little squirrels (and after all, any chipmunk that you see is indeed a squirrel) ran about 1 foot from my boots as I stood admiring the view of Donner Lake from Donner Peak.