




Poliocitellus franklinii
Franklin's Ground Squirrel is a small, friendly animal that loves to dig and play in the grass. They have fluffy tails and enjoy sunny days outside, often seen popping up from their burrows.
Habitat: Grasslands
The Franklin's Ground Squirrel has a speckled, grizzled grey-brown back, often appearing streaky or patchy, with a paler, sometimes yellowish-white belly. Unlike many ground squirrels, it possesses a relatively long, bushy tail, giving it a somewhat fox-like appearance.





Category
MammalsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
2
Franklin's ground squirrels are excellent swimmers and can cross small bodies of water!
These squirrels spend up to 7 months of the year hibernating in their cozy underground dens!
They are often called "bushy-tailed ground squirrels" because their tails are unusually long for their kind!
They often move between different burrows, sometimes using up to 10 in a year!
Franklin's Ground Squirrel can sleep for over half the year because it hibernates deep underground to survive cold winters.
Franklin's Ground Squirrel has special cheek pouches that help them carry many seeds to store in their underground burrows.
Franklin's Ground Squirrel can make loud, bird-like alarm calls that help them warn other squirrels of nearby danger.
An omnivore eating plants, seeds, insects, and even small eggs for energy!

Canis latrans
Prairie coyotes hunt ground squirrels for food.

Buteo jamaicensis
These hawks hunt ground squirrels from the sky.
Taxidea taxus
Badgers dig into burrows to find and eat squirrels.
Schistocerca americana
Ground squirrels eat various insects, including grasshoppers.
Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding.
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
No aliases listed yet.
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always watch from a distance and do not try to touch wild animals.
The easiest way to identify Franklin's Ground Squirrel is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
23-40 cm
0.2-0.5 kg
2-5 years
25 km/h
An omnivore eating plants, seeds, insects, and even small eggs for energy!
Grasslands
Foraging
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