Wyoming Ground Squirrel
ExploreMammals
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
urocitellus elegans
The Wyoming Ground Squirrel is a charming and highly social rodent native to the high-elevation shrublands, sagebrush steppes, and grasslands of the western United States. Highly adapted to its semi-arid environment, this industrious creature lives in extensive underground burrow systems that offer protection from predators and the harsh winter cold. Known for their active colonial behavior, these squirrels are a common and delightful sight during the spring and summer months, darting between burrows and standing erect on their hind legs to scan the horizon. They play a crucial role in their ecosystem by aerating the soil through digging and serving as a vital prey species for local raptors and carnivores.
Habitat: Found in high-altitude sagebrush steppes, montane meadows, and dry grasslands of the western United States.
Appearance
The Wyoming Ground Squirrel is medium-sized with a cylindrical body, measuring about 25 to 38 centimeters in total length. Its soft, dense pelage is primarily a buffy-gray to brownish color on its back, subtly speckled with lighter markings, which blends seamlessly into its dry grassland habitat. The underbelly is noticeably reconstruction of pale cream to light buff. It features a relatively short, flat tail around 6 to 10 centimeters long with a buffy underside and a white border. A distinct whitish ring encircles each dark, expressive eye, and its small, rounded ears lie flat against its head.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassMammaliaOrderRodentiaFamilySciuridaeGenusUrocitellus
Category
MammalsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Their complex alarm calls can convey specific information about the type of predator approaching, whether it is an airborne hawk or a ground-dwelling badger.
They are colloquially known as 'picket pins' because they stand rigidly upright on their hind legs, looking like wooden pegs driven into the ground.
Wyoming Ground Squirrels spend over two-thirds of their entire lives in hibernation, active for only about 4 months of the year.
Special abilities
Ability
Deep Torpor Hibernation
To survive the extreme winter cold and food scarcity, they enter a state of profound hibernation for up to eight months, dramatically reducing their heart rate and body temperature.
Ability
Vigilant Alarm Calls
They utilize a sophisticated vocal communication system, emitting sharp, high-pitched chirps to warn colony members of terrestrial or aerial predators.
Ability
Subterranean Architecture
They are expert excavators, constructing complex burrow networks with multiple chambers, escape routes, and nesting areas deep beneath the frost line.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 25-38 cm
- Weight
- 0.25-0.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 2-5 years
- Top Speed
- 25 km/h
- Clutch Size
- 4-8
- Incubation
- 22-23 days
Diet & Feeding
Primarily herbivorous, consuming a wide variety of grasses, seeds, and flowering plants, but opportunistic enough to eat insects and carrion when available.
Age differences: Juveniles rely heavily on tender, high-protein green shoots and seeds to rapidly build fat reserves required for their first hibernation.
Primary Foods
- Grasses
- Forbs
- Seeds
- Insects
- Shrub foliage
Foraging Method
- Foraging
Ecological connections
eaten by
American Badger
Taxidea taxus
Badgers are primary predators, actively digging into ground squirrel burrows to hunt them.
eaten by
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Golden Eagles frequently hunt Wyoming Ground Squirrels from the air during the summer months.
host plant
Big Sagebrush
Artemisia tridentata
Provides critical cover from predators and is a source of shelter and forage for the squirrels.
Traits
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Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
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Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Wyoming Ground Squirrel?
The easiest way to identify Wyoming Ground Squirrel is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How long is Wyoming Ground Squirrel?
25-38 cm
How much does Wyoming Ground Squirrel weigh?
0.25-0.5 kg
How long does Wyoming Ground Squirrel live?
2-5 years
How fast can Wyoming Ground Squirrel move?
25 km/h
What does Wyoming Ground Squirrel eat?
Primarily herbivorous, consuming a wide variety of grasses, seeds, and flowering plants, but opportunistic enough to eat insects and carrion when available.
Where is Wyoming Ground Squirrel usually found?
Found in high-altitude sagebrush steppes, montane meadows, and dry grasslands of the western United States.
How does Wyoming Ground Squirrel hunt?
Foraging
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