The little ground squirrel or little souslik (''Spermophilus pygmaeus'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

in the family

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

. It is found from

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

. Its

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

include ''Spermophilus pygmaeus pygmaeus'', ''Spermophilus pygmaeus brauneri'', ''Spermophilus pygmaeus herbicolus'' and '' Spermophilus pygmaeus mugosaricus''. The Caucasian mountain ground squirrel (''Spermophilus musicus'') is now considered to be a separate species.

Morphology

The little ground squirrel has a stout, low-slung body, short legs and a well-furred tail. It has a brownish-grey back with ochre and yellowish mottling. The head is notably darker with more intense ochre tones and the tail is a light, grayish-ochre color with a pale tip. The body length is up to 230 millimetres and the tail measures up to 40 millimetres.AgroAtlas: Pests
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Distribution

The little ground squirrel inhabits steppes and semi-deserts in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, ranging from

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

and

European Russia European Russia is the western and most populated part of the Russia, Russian Federation. It is geographically situated in Europe, as opposed to the country's sparsely populated and vastly larger eastern part, Siberia, which is situated in Asia ...

east as far as the

Aral Sea The Aral Sea () was an endorheic lake lying between Kazakhstan to its north and Uzbekistan to its south, which began shrinking in the 1960s and had largely dried up into desert by the 2010s. It was in the Aktobe and Kyzylorda regions of Kazakhst ...

(

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

) and

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; ; ), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Fede ...

(Russia). It is found at altitudes of up to 500 metres. The range of the species has been reduced over the last 20 years, probably as a result of climate change with more wet weather and wet years in the region. A decrease in cattle grazing and arable farming may also have played a role.

Biology

This species is diurnal and favours grassland, uncultivated ground, field edges and roadside verges, avoiding areas with dense long vegetation. It lives in colonies mostly consisting of non-overlapping territories of adult females, while male territories include several female territories. It builds permanent burrows for

hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic reduction entered by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It is mos ...

and reproduction and temporary burrows for shelter. Before hibernation, all exits from the burrow are plugged by soil. In March or April the entrances are opened, the burrows cleaned and new construction starts. In late June or July,

aestivation Aestivation ( (summer); also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and a lowered m ...

occurs and sometimes, especially in dry years, this species goes straight from aestivation to hibernation. During the year it may only be active for 80 to 100 days. As a result of excavating activity over several years, a mound is formed on the surface of the ground, up to eight metres in diameter and 0.6 of a metre in height. This is known as a ''souslikovina'' and from the top, animals keep watch on their surroundings. When threatened they emit a sharp, singing sound and retreat into the safety of the burrow. The diet consists of green vegetation, roots and seeds. In years when food is scarce the little ground squirrel may migrate to seek better supplies elsewhere. Reproduction occurs once a year and the number of females participating in reproduction varies depending on the nature of the spring weather and the physiological condition of the females resulting from the adequacy of food supplies during the previous year. Litter sizes vary between three and ten per brood. The population dynamics are determined by many factors including changes of climate that are occurring in the area, the sufficiency of

fodder Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food ...

, and the natural death rate which may be high, especially among young animals during hibernation.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1765522 Spermophilus Mammals described in 1778 Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot