Richardson's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii)

Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Photograph by Elron6900. Some rights reserved. (view image details)

RICHARDSON'S GROUND SQUIRREL FACTS

Description
Richardson's Ground Squirrel is brown along the back and tan underneath. The tail is short and not bushy like some other ground squirrels.

Size
Total body length: 26cm - 34cm. Tail length: males 6cm - 9cm. Weight: up to 745g. average 340g

Environment
open plains, savanna, grassland. Richardson's Ground Squirrel build complex burrows about 7.5cm in diameter and from 3.5m - 15m long. The burrows can be 1m - 2m deep and have about 8 entrances.

Food
seeds, nuts, grains, bulbs, leaves, insects

Breeding
The females prepares a nest chamber in a burrow to rear the young. A litter of 6 - 8 young is born after a gestation period of 23 - 31 days. The young are weaned at 4 to 6 weeks of age.

Range
central Alberta and western Montana to western Minnesota

Classification

Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Spermophilus
Species:	richardsonii
Common Name:	Richardson's Ground Squirrel

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