Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
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| Spermophilus lateralis (Say, 1823) |
The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) lives in all types of forests across North America. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and underground fungi. It is eaten by hawks, jays, weasels, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. A typical creature ranges from 23–30 cm (9–12 inches) in length. The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel can be identified by its chipmunk-like stripes and coloration, but unlike chipmunks, it lacks any facial stripes. It is commonly found living in the same habitat as Uinta Chipmunks.
The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is similar to chipmunks in more than just its appearance. Although it is a traditional hibernator, building up its body fat so to survive the winter asleep, it is also known to store some food in its burrow, like the chipmunk, for consumption upon waking in the spring.
Both the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel and the chipmunk have cheek pouches for carrying food. Cheek pouches allow them to transport food back to their nests and still run at full speed on all fours. By comparison, when a more typical ground squirrel is threatened by a predator, it has to drop its food if it wants to make a quick getaway.
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels dig shallow burrows up to 30m (100 ft) in length with the openings hidden in a hollow log or under tree roots or a boulder. The female gives birth to a single litter of 4–6 young each summer.
The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is abundant throughout its range and is equally at home in a wide variety of forest habitats as well as rocky meadows, and even sagebrush flats.
[edit] References
- Yensen (1996). Spermophilus lateralis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006.
- Spermophilus lateralis (TSN 180154). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 23 March 2006.
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