The Columbian ground squirrel (''Urocitellus columbianus'') is a species of
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
common in certain regions of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the northwestern
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is the second largest member of the genus ''
Urocitellus
''Urocitellus'' is a genus of ground squirrels. They were previously believed to belong to the much larger genus '' Spermophilus'', but DNA sequencing of the cytochrome ''b'' gene showed that this group was paraphyletic to the prairie dogs and ...
'', which is part of the tribe
Marmotini, along with marmots, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and other
holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...
ground squirrels. They are stout, with short dense fur, which is characteristically tawny across the bridge of the nose. Social encounters sometimes are initiated with kissing behavior and the most common activity above ground is standing at attention. Residing in mountainous terrain and high plains in northern latitudes, they hibernate for 8 to 9 months of the year in burrows, which may be used for many years. They are emaciated when emerging in the spring. The Columbian ground squirrel came to the attention of the scientific community through writings produced by
Lewis and Clark
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
, while 21st century molecular genetics has more finely illuminated its ties with other close relatives.
Description
The Columbian ground squirrel is one of the largest members of the genus, the largest being the
Arctic ground squirrel. They have a relatively sturdy, robust build. They measure in length overall, with a tail measuring . The hind feet measure and the ear .
The hair is dense and relatively short. The facial fur is bronze across the bridge of the nose. The fur along the back, legs, and feet is a more cinnamon buff, with darker fur closer to the body. There is a pale beige to buff ring of fur around the eye. The neck fur is gray along the sides of the cheeks. The flanks may be light beige or gray. They have a darker tail, with darker underfur and some lighter beige markings above and dark to grayish white below.
Molting
In biology, moulting (British English), or molting (American English), also known as sloughing, shedding, or in many invertebrates, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body (often, but not always, an outer ...
occurs diffusely, without a clear line of delineation.
![Columbian Ground Squirrel Roger's Pass](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Columbian_Ground_Squirrel_Roger%27s_Pass.jpg)
Two subspecies have been described, which vary in appearance. Compared with ''U. c. columbianus'', the population ''U. c. ruficaudus'' has a tail more
rufous
Rufous () is a color that may be described as reddish-brown or brownish-red, as of rust or oxidised iron. The first recorded use of ''rufous'' as a color name in English was in 1782. However, the color is also recorded earlier in 1527 as a dia ...
and less gray above. The sides of the face and throat are also more deeply rust shaded. The legs and feet are darker as well. The skull of ''U. c. ruficaudus'' is broader, with more robust zygomatic arches.
Several
albino
Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino.
Varied use and interpretation of the term ...
variants have been found. An albino squirrel was captured alive by a student near Pullman, Washington in 1932. It had been in an alfalfa field. The animal had white hair and pink eyes. A zoologist reported intentions to keep the animal alive to study genetic inheritance patterns. The following year, he reported finding three more young albinos in the same area. Around 30 years prior, two albino skins had been collected, also near Pullman. It was proposed that the recessive trait persisted in the locality, appearing at sporadic intervals.
Distribution and habitat
The Columbia ground squirrel is found in western areas of North America. It occurs in the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
, from as far north as western Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. They are found in the western parts of Montana, through central Idaho and into northern and eastern reaches of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. They are also found along plains of eastern Washington. In Oregon, they occur in mountainous area in the east-central part of the state. They reside between in elevation.
The known fossil record of the Columbia ground squirrel consists of specimens recovered from the Wasden fossil site (Owl Cave) in
Bonneville County, Idaho
Bonneville County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 123,964, making it the fourth-most populous county in Idaho and the most populous in eastern Idaho. Its county seat and larg ...
. Fossils from this site date to the late
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
(Rancholabrean). The site is located at elevation. Fossils of small mammals deposited at this site are primarily attributed to owl predation.
The distribution of the Columbia ground squirrel in Oregon was assessed based on consideration of animals obtained in 71 localities. Over 98% were obtained in the
Blue Mountains ecoregion, which includes the
Wallowa Wallowa may refer to:
Places
*Wallowa, Oregon
*Wallowa County, Oregon
*Wallowa Lake
*Wallowa Lake State Park
*Wallowa Mountains
*Wallowa River
Other
*''Acacia calamifolia'', a shrub or tree
*''Acacia euthycarpa'', a shrub or tree
* ''The Wallo ...
and
Blue Mountain ranges. The remaining squirrels came from the
Owyheee Uplands.
Behavior
![Urocitellus columbianus burrow diagram](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Urocitellus_columbianus_burrow_diagram.svg)
Columbian ground squirrels in Alberta hibernate around 250 days a year, with only 69–94 days of activity observed. The amount of time active varies depending on local climate as well as variations in behavior of animals of different sexes and ages. Each sex and age group hibernates at different soil depths and begins hibernation when the soil temperature of their
hibernaculum is at its warmest. During hibernation, the squirrels are positioned vertically in a tight ball. The temperature drops significantly, the heart rate slows and respirations are scarcely perceptible. The first group to emerge is adult males, which is likely due to their need to regrow their testes for breeding, as the testes of other ground squirrels have been found to shrink in size and stop sperm production during hibernation. Adult males are followed by adult females, yearlings, then juveniles. Animals at higher elevations and latitudes emerge later. They emerge from hibernation and start breeding earlier at low elevations.
They raise one litter per year. Young are born naked, blind, and toothless. After 5–6 days, their weight has doubled. They are covered with dark silky hair by day 12. Around day 17, the eyes are beginning to open. They may emerge into the sunlight outside the den around day 21-24. After 4 weeks, they are able to leave the nest altogether.
Before their first hibernation, newborn Columbian ground squirrels only have a period of a few weeks to wean off their mother's milk. Because of this, the 27 day lactation period of the mother squirrel is the young's primary opportunity to get the nutrition necessary for surviving hibernation. The concentrations of most components of the mother's milk vary throughout the lactation period, most dramatically seen in calcium, which typically experiences a 134% increase in concentration from the beginning of lactation to its peak (~17 days
postpartum
The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to end within 6 weeks as the mother's body, including hormone levels and uterus size, returns to a non-pregnant state. The terms puerperium, puerperal pe ...
).
Mammalogist
Vernon Orlando Bailey
Vernon Orlando Bailey (1864–1942) was an American naturalist who specialized in mammalogy. He was employed by the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). His contributions to the Bureau of Biological Survey ...
examined a Columbia ground squirrel burrow at an elevation of near the
Piegan Pass
Piegan Mountain () is located in the Lewis Range, Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. Piegan Glacier is located in a cirque immediately southeast of the summit.
Geology
Like other mountains in Glacier National Park, Piegan Mou ...
in
Glacier National Park. In late July, an adult female was found bringing up fresh soil to the burrow entrance daily. The animal was removed and the burrow excavated for examination The mound at the entrance consisted of an estimated of soil. The soil was of varying dates of accumulation, since the lower layers appeared packed from previous seasons. The burrow itself had this main opening as well as two alternates, which were concealed from external observation and likely served as avenues of escape if a predator were to enter the burrow. The main shafts of the burrow were around in diameter. Chambers were established and varying intervals throughout the burrow, possibly to allow for storage of earth being excavated or safe haven from predators. At a distance of around from the entrance, a nest had been constructed. The nest itself was made from leaves of locally abundant "glacier grass" (''
Luzula parviflora
''Luzula parviflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the rush family known by the common name small-flowered woodrush. It has a northern circumboreal distribution.
Description
It is a perennial herb forming grasslike clumps of several erec ...
''). Varying ages of grass were found, suggesting that the nest had been used during prior seasons. In an adjoining chamber, deeper down in the earth, an older abandoned nest, filled partially with excrement, apparently served as a toilet for the squirrel.
![Urocitellus columbianus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Urocitellus_columbianus.jpg)
The two types of burrow entrance were also noted by other observers, with one being small and roughly the same diameter as the tunnel itself, while another larger and more funnel shaped. The amount of soil excavated is around per year, with an estimated of annual tunnel construction to established burrows. New burrow construction results in of soil excavation.
The most common activities for Columbian ground squirrels, while above ground, include standing at attention, feeding, and grooming. More time was spent standing at attention than engaging in other activities. Aggressive behavior was observed most commonly in adult males, particularly early in the season. Columbian ground squirrel activity patterns are sensitive to climate and ambient light, avoiding cloudy days, cold winds, and inclement weather. They emerge from dens about an hour before sunrise and return near sunset. They are active during the hottest parts of the day, but more likely to be found out around mid-morning.
Columbian ground squirrels, when encountering each other, commonly will touch their mouths and noses together, an act resembling kissing. These greetings last 1–5 seconds and may precede other social interactions, including sexual activity.
C. Hart Merriam
Clinton Hart Merriam (December 5, 1855 – March 19, 1942) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, ethnographer, geographer, naturalist and physician. He was commonly known as the 'father of mammalogy', a ...
, writing in 1891, documented reports of the Columbian ground squirrel's behavior provided by local observers in Idaho. If disturbed while out of the burrow, the squirrels stood at attention, watching while approached to within a few yards, then raced for the burrow entrance, making squeaks and whistles. Locals called them "Seven sleepers", because they stayed underground for about seven months of the year. They were noted to have ample fat supplies when entering burrows to hibernate, but observed to be weak and thin when emerging the following spring. The mounds excavated by burrowing squirrels ranged from in height. The burrows descended vertically from the entrance .
Ecology
![Squirrel Posing at Logan Pass](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Squirrel_Posing_at_Logan_Pass.jpg)
Columbian ground squirrels live in colonies distributed discontinuously throughout their range. They are found in alpine and subalpine areas, along the edges of meadows or on mounds where meadow flooding occurs. They are not found as frequently in rocky, fellfield, heather, or herbfield environments as they are in meadows and grasslands. They will occupy disturbed habitats including clear-cuts. In areas where they are
sympatric
In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...
with
Belding's ground squirrel
Belding's ground squirrel (''Urocitellus beldingi''), also called pot gut, sage rat or picket-pin, is a squirrel that lives on mountains in the western United States. In California, it often is found at in meadows between Lake Tahoe
Lake Ta ...
, they inhabit areas of higher elevation and wetter climate. Belding's ground squirrel tends towards drier, sagebrush regions. In Oregon, the Columbian ground squirrel is found primarily in the Blue Mountains, where other characteristic mammal species include: the
montane shrew
The montane shrew (''Sorex monticolus'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae commonly known as the dusky shrew. ''Monticolus'' is derived from the Latin root word ''mons'' meaning mountain. It is found in Alaska, western Canada, the ...
(''Sorex monticolus''),
Belding's ground squirrel
Belding's ground squirrel (''Urocitellus beldingi''), also called pot gut, sage rat or picket-pin, is a squirrel that lives on mountains in the western United States. In California, it often is found at in meadows between Lake Tahoe
Lake Ta ...
(''Urocitellus beldingi''), the
American red squirrel (''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus''), the
northern pocket gopher (''Thomomys talpoides''), the
southern red-backed vole (''Myodes gapperi''), and the
western jumping mouse
The western jumping mouse (''Zapus princeps''), is a species of rodent in the family Zapodidae. It is found in Canada and the United States.
Western jumping mice evolved during the Pleistocene, possibly from the fossil species '' Zapus burti'', ...
(''Zapus princeps'').
Predation of other vertebrates by Columbian ground squirrels has not been described. However, cannibalism has been observed. Adult females sometimes may kill juveniles as well. It was postulated that sympatric species, including northern pocket gophers,
deer mice
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindee ...
(''Peromyscus maniculatus''), and
meadow voles
The eastern meadow vole (''Microtus pennsylvanicus''), sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, is a North American vole found in eastern Canada and the United States. Its range extends farther south along the Atlantic coast.
The weste ...
(''Microtus pennsylvanicus'') might use or raid provisioned burrows. Observations of possible killings of meadow voles by Columbian ground squirrels were published in 1985. These killings did not appear motivated for purposes of predation, so may have been motivated by defense of home territory and resources.
Population densities are reportedly higher in "agricultural bottomlands" compared to "wheatfields". In subalpine Idaho, the density was recorded at 35 animals per hectare. In Alberta, densities of juveniles were estimated between 5-20 per hectare, which older animal estimates were 12-16 per hectare.
They are "one of the most vegetarian of all the ground squirrels". In the early part of the season, they primarily eat succulent fresh vegetation. When the vegetation grows more tough, they are inclined to eat more grains and seeds. By the end of the season, they appear enormously fat. Examination of stomach contents from a group of 43 squirrels revealed vegetable matter in all cases. Nothing but vegetation was found in 86% of the stomachs, while 2% contained traces of other mammals and 14% contained insect remains.
Columbian ground squirrels may be parasitized by the Rocky Mountain wood tick (''
Dermacentor andersoni
''Dermacentor andersoni'', commonly known as the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is a hard tick, or member of the Ixodidae family, with three life stages including larvae, nymph, and finally adult, or, more entomologically, imago. This tick is genera ...
''), which is a carrier for the bacteria that causes
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial disease spread by ticks. It typically begins with a fever and headache, which is followed a few days later with the development of a rash. The rash is generally made up of small spots of bleedin ...
. Other external parasites include the lice ''Enderleinellus suturalis'' and ''Neohaemotopinus laeviusculus''; the fleas ''Neopsylla inopina'', ''Opisocrostis tuberculatus'', and ''Oropsylla idahoensis''; the mites ''Dermacarus heptneri'', ''Androlaelaps fahrenholz'', ''
Macrocheles sp.'', and ''Pygmephorus erlangensis''. Internal parasites include ''
Trypanosoma
''Trypanosoma'' is a genus of kinetoplastids (class Trypanosomatidae), a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. Trypanosoma is part of the phylum Sarcomastigophora. The name is derived from the Greek ''trypano-'' (bore ...
'' species ''Trypanosoma otospermophili'', and the ''
Eimeria
''Eimeria'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites that includes various species capable of causing the disease coccidiosis in animals such as cattle, poultry and smaller ruminants including sheep and goats. ''Eimeria'' species are considered to be ...
'' species: ''Eimeria bilamellata'', ''Eimeria callospermophili'', and ''Eimeria lateralis''. Instances of presence of ''
Yersinia pestis
''Yersinia pestis'' (''Y. pestis''; formerly '' Pasteurella pestis'') is a gram-negative, non-motile, coccobacillus bacterium without spores that is related to both ''Yersinia pseudotuberculosis'' and ''Yersinia enterocolitica''. It is a facult ...
'', the cause of the
black plague
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
, have been reported. They may be a reservoir for Powassan or St Louis encephalitis virus, based on some antibody screening analyses. Columbian ground squirrels may also suffer dermatitis from ''Dermatophilus congolensis''.
Treatment of female Columbian ground squirrels with flea powder resulted in an improved condition of treated animals. Litters produced by treated females were larger. The treated females were gained mass between the time the young were born, through weaning. Untreated cohorts, on the other hand, lost mass over this time frame.
Predators of the Colombian ground squirrel include the grizzly bear (''
Ursus arctos horribilis''), coyote (''
Canis latrans
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological ni ...
''), Pacific marten (''
Martes caurina''), grey wolf (''
Canis lupus
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
'') American badger (''
Taxidea taxus
The American badger (''Taxidea taxus'') is a North American badger similar in appearance to the European badger, although not closely related. It is found in the western, central, and northeastern United States, northern Mexico, and south-cent ...
''),
weasels
Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender b ...
(''
Mustela'' and ''
Neogale
''Neogale'' is a genus of mustelid native to the Americas, ranging from Alaska south to Bolivia. Members of this genus are known as New World weasels.
Taxonomy
Members in this genus were formerly classified into the genera '' Mustela'' and '' ...
'' sp.), and mountain lion (''
Puma concolor
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere ...
''). Predatory birds include the golden eagle (''
Aquila chrysaetos
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
''), red-tailed hawk (''
Buteo jamaicensis
The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members with ...
''), and goshawk (''
Accipiter gentilis
The northern goshawk (; ''Accipiter gentilis'') is a species of medium-large raptor in the family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. As a species in the genus ''Accipit ...
'').
Taxonomy
![Urocitellus columbianus 2 (Glacier NP, 2009)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Urocitellus_columbianus_2_%28Glacier_NP%2C_2009%29.jpg)
In 1891, Merriam published an account of the mammals of Idaho, based on an expedition. He concluded that the Columbian ground squirrel is the same animal as the "Burrowing Squirrel" reported by
Lewis and Clark
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...
. At the time, that animal had been thought to be the prairie dog. However, Merriam's assessment was that this was not the case and the animal described by Lewis and Clark was the same as an animal described by naturalist
John Richardson in 1829. Richardson described it as a variant of the Arctic ground squirrel, obtained from the Rocky Mountains near the source of the Elk River. Merriam knew of the presence of the squirrel, but his party was there late in the season and no squirrels were directly observed in the field. However, Merriam reported that he was able to obtain "a fine series of specimens" from near Moscow, within about from the locale where Lewis and Clark's obtained their specimens. Other were obtained from a site even closer. Based on his observations and comparison with the notes of Lewis and Clark, Merriam assessed that the Columbian ground squirrel was not a variant of the Arctic ground squirrel, but a separate species, which he named as ''Spermophilus columbianus'', rejecting the genus designation ''Arctomys'' and reapplying the species designation originally applied by
Ord
Ord or ORD may refer to:
Places
* Ord of Caithness, landform in north-east Scotland
* Ord, Nebraska, USA
* Ord, Northumberland, England
* Muir of Ord, village in Highland, Scotland
* Ord, Skye, a place near Tarskavaig
* Ord River, Western Austral ...
in 1815.
Two subspecies are described. The first, ''Spermophilus columbianus columbianus'' is the type described by Ord in 1815. The specimen type was taken "between the forks of the Clearwater and Kooskooskie rivers", in
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
. ''Spermophilus columbianus albertae'', described in 1903 by
Joel Asaph Allen
Joel Asaph Allen (July 19, 1838 – August 29, 1921) was an American zoology, zoologist, mammalogy, mammalogist, and ornithology, ornithologist. He became the first president of the American Ornithologists' Union, the first curator of birds and ma ...
, is a synonym. Another synonymous designation, ''Anisonyx brachiura'', was applied by
Rafinesque
Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (; October 22, 1783September 18, 1840) was a French 19th-century polymath born near Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire and self-educated in France. He traveled as a young man in the United States, ultimat ...
in 1817. The third synonym, ''Spermophilus columbianus erythrogluteia'', was the animal designated by Richardson in 1829.
The second subspecies, ''Spermophilus columbianus ruficaudus'' was described in 1928 by
Arthur H. Howell. The type was taken near
Wallowa Lake
Wallowa Lake is a ribbon lake south of Joseph, Oregon, United States, at an elevation of . Impounded by high moraines, it was formed by a series of Pleistocene glaciers. On the south end of the lake is Wallowa Lake, Oregon, a small community made ...
in northeastern Oregon.
They have also been referred to as the burrowing squirrel.
Below is a
cladogram
A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to d ...
of ground squirrels (tribe
Marmotini) derived from maximum parsimony analysis.
Human interactions
![George Ord, in Rhoads reprint](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/George_Ord%2C_in_Rhoads_reprint.jpg)
With the advent of intensive agricultural practices in their range, Columbian ground squirrels came to be seen as pests, negatively impacting harvests of wheat and other crops. In 1910, the Washington Agricultural Experiment Station began a comprehensive study in a location known as ''the Citellary'' (named after the contemporary genus name of the animal ''Citellus''). ''The Citellary'' was composed of yards that enclosed natural squirrel dens and was 50 by 90 feet, surrounded by a fence. Associated cabins were used for the study of brooding and hibernating animals. This provided conditions to closely observe them in a near natural setting.
Conservation status
The
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
lists the Columbian ground squirrel as a species of
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
. The reason for this listing is that the animal is widespread and common in its range and no major threats to the survival of the species are identified. Population trends are listed as stable. Similarly, the state of
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
, considers Columbian ground squirrels an important part of the state's ecosystem, noting that the animals are abundant with a wide spread distribution and are not vulnerable through most of their range.
References
Footnotes:
Sources:
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External links
{{Authority control
Mammals described in 1815
Urocitellus
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Taxa named by George Ord