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The golden-mantled ground squirrel (''Callospermophilus lateralis'') is a
''Spermophilus lateralis''.
''In'': Wilson, D. E. & D. M. Reeder (Eds). 2005. ''Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'' (3rd ed.), Johns Hopkins University Press. Some authors describe many subspecies of this taxon.''Callospermophilus lateralis''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
This species occurs in forests, 
This species hibernates over the winter. During the summers they gain extra weight in order to prepare for hibernation.
The squirrels hibernate in dens that can reach up to 100 feet in length although they are typically shallow in depth. The breeding season commences when males and females emerge from hibernation in the spring. Most broods are born in July. A female has two to eight young per litter, with an average of five. There is no paternal care of the offspring. Juveniles resemble adults by 40 days of age. The life span of this ground squirrel is up to about seven years.
Most adults are independent, rarely cooperating, and usually competing for resources. They may assemble at sites with abundant food but develop a group hierarchy. Adults reside alone in burrows, creating nests for hibernation or rearing of young. This species has been known to nest in structures, such as roofs. This species becomes vocal when it feels threatened, making squeaking noises or growling. However, it is generally not a very vocal species.
Predators of this squirrel include snakes, foxes, weasels, and bears. It may carry the
''Callospermophilus lateralis''.
NatureServe Explorer V.7.1 Accessed 6 September 2017.
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.
North American Mammals. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. {{Taxonbar, from1=Q1334879, from2=Q21727451 Callospermophilus Fauna of the Northwestern United States Fauna of the Southwestern United States Rodents of Canada Rodents of the United States Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Fauna of the Great Basin Fauna of the Rocky Mountains Fauna of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Mammals described in 1823 Taxa named by Thomas Say
ground squirrel
Ground squirrels are rodents of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) that generally live on the ground or in burrows, rather than in trees like the tree squirrels. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones ar ...
native to western North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. It is distributed in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
and Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, and through much of the western United States.
Description
This ground squirrel is generally about in length. The weight range for adults is between 120 and 394 grams (0.26 to 0.86 lbs.) It has whitish or yellow-gray underparts. The tail is brown to black with buff edges and a yellowish to reddish underside. It has pale rings around the eyes. The "mantle" across the shoulders is tawny to reddish, with males having a deeper reddish tinge. This species is distinguished from similar ground squirrels by a black-bordered white stripe down each side of the back and is distinguished from similar looking chipmunks by its lack of facial stripes.Bartels, M. A. and D. P. Thompson''Spermophilus lateralis''.
''In'': Wilson, D. E. & D. M. Reeder (Eds). 2005. ''Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'' (3rd ed.), Johns Hopkins University Press. Some authors describe many subspecies of this taxon.''Callospermophilus lateralis''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Biology and ecology
This species occurs in forests, chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...
, meadow margins, and sagebrush, especially in areas with many rocks or forest litter that provides shelter. It is associated with many kinds of coniferous
Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...
trees, aspen
Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus.
Species
These species are called aspens:
* ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'')
* ''Populus da ...
, and manzanita.
It is omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize ...
, feeding on pine nut
Pine nuts, also called piñón (), pinoli (), or pignoli, are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus ''Pinus''). According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, only 29 species provide edible nuts, while 20 are traded locall ...
s, acorn
The acorn is the nut (fruit), nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'', ''Notholithocarpus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains a seedling surrounded by two cotyledons (seedling leaves), en ...
s, herbs and shrubs, fungi, many kinds of insects, eggs, young birds, lizards, carrion, and human foods when available. This species caches food near its burrow, especially during the late summer and fall. The squirrel has also been known to "beg" for human food at the wildlife urban interface.
This species hibernates over the winter. During the summers they gain extra weight in order to prepare for hibernation.
The squirrels hibernate in dens that can reach up to 100 feet in length although they are typically shallow in depth. The breeding season commences when males and females emerge from hibernation in the spring. Most broods are born in July. A female has two to eight young per litter, with an average of five. There is no paternal care of the offspring. Juveniles resemble adults by 40 days of age. The life span of this ground squirrel is up to about seven years.
Most adults are independent, rarely cooperating, and usually competing for resources. They may assemble at sites with abundant food but develop a group hierarchy. Adults reside alone in burrows, creating nests for hibernation or rearing of young. This species has been known to nest in structures, such as roofs. This species becomes vocal when it feels threatened, making squeaking noises or growling. However, it is generally not a very vocal species.
Predators of this squirrel include snakes, foxes, weasels, and bears. It may carry the Rocky Mountain wood tick
''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 gene ...
, a vector of 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 Petechial rash, made up of small s ...
and other diseases.
Conservation
This is a common and widespread species that is not considered to be threatened.References
External links
*NatureServe. 2017''Callospermophilus lateralis''.
NatureServe Explorer V.7.1 Accessed 6 September 2017.
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.
North American Mammals. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. {{Taxonbar, from1=Q1334879, from2=Q21727451 Callospermophilus Fauna of the Northwestern United States Fauna of the Southwestern United States Rodents of Canada Rodents of the United States Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Fauna of the Great Basin Fauna of the Rocky Mountains Fauna of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Mammals described in 1823 Taxa named by Thomas Say