# Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels (*urocitellus*) Long-tailed ground squirrels are small, furry creatures with long tails that help them balance as they scamper around. They love to dig burrows and can often be seen playing in the grass or foraging for food. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Habitat:** They live in grasslands, open fields, and areas with sparse vegetation. - **Also known as:** Burrowing Squirrel, Urocitellus ![Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Co-szies-09-08.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hans-Jörg Hellwig, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Co-szies-09-08.jpg) ## Appearance The Long-Tailed Ground Squirrel is slender with yellowish-grey to brownish-grey fur, often showing lighter spots or subtle stripes on its back. It has a noticeably long, bushy tail, which is a key feature distinguishing it from other ground squirrel species. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Rodentia - **Family:** Sciuridae - **Genus:** Urocitellus ## Interesting facts - Long-tailed ground squirrels sometimes stand tall on hind legs to scan for danger. - Their keen sense of smell helps them find buried food, even under the snow. - Their tails can be almost as long as their bodies, helping them balance! - These clever rodents often line their burrows with soft grass for extra warmth. ## Special abilities - **Super Sleeper:** Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels can hibernate for over half the year because of special body adaptations that help them survive cold winters without food. - **Tunnel Engineer:** Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels can dig extensive underground burrows that help them create safe homes and escape routes from predators. - **Nature's Lookout:** Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels has a sharp warning cry that helps them alert their colony to danger, protecting everyone from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-45 cm - **Weight:** 0.25-0.7 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-5 years - **Speed:** 25 km/h - **Litter Size:** 4-10 - **Gestation:** 25-28 days ## Diet & Feeding These busy squirrels munch on plants, seeds, and even small insects to fuel their day. - **Primary Foods:** grasses, seeds, roots, berries, leaves, insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — A common predator in their habitat. - **Eaten by:** [Golden Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-eagle) (*Aquila chrysaetos*) — Hunts them from the skies. - **Eaten by:** Grey Wolf (*Canis lupus*) — Preys on them in their range. - **Eats:** [Migratory Locust](https://www.snappit.app/explore/migratory-locust) (*Locusta migratoria*) — Opportunistically hunts insects. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger Always watch squirrels from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels? 30-45 cm ### How much does Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels weigh? 0.25-0.7 kg ### How long does Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels live? 2-5 years ### How fast can Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels move? 25 km/h ### What does Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels eat? These busy squirrels munch on plants, seeds, and even small insects to fuel their day. ### Where is Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels usually found? They live in grasslands, open fields, and areas with sparse vegetation. ### How does Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Bear Lake State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-lake-state-park) — Utah, US · State Park ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Long-Tailed Ground Squirrels Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/long-tailed-ground-squirrels)