Pot gut, Sage rat, Picket-pin
Belding's ground squirrel (Urocitellus beldingi) is a squirrel that lives on mountains in the western United States. This species is not of conservation concern, and its range includes some protected areas.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withBelding's ground squirrel is medium-sized with "a relatively short tail, short limbs, and small ears". It has a gray pelage that becomes more cinnamon at the underside and reddish-brown on the back. The tail is bushy but also flattened. The distal hairs of the tail have three color bands, one black, one white, and one red. Its feet are covered in little to no hair. Compared to other ground squirrel species, its cheek pouches are moderate in size.
Belding's ground squirrels are found in northeastern Oregon and part of Washington, north California, southwestern Idaho, north and central Nevada, and northwestern Utah. They prefer to live at higher altitudes, occurring in alpine and subalpine meadows. They are also found in sagebrush flats, brush/grass habitats, and cultivated areas. They like open areas with enough fresh vegetation and water. They do not live in dense forests, tall grasses, rocky slopes, or thick shrubbery as they cannot watch for predators. In addition, they do not prefer grass that is too short in which they cannot hide from predators.
Belding's ground squirrels live in a nepotistic society where most interactions occur between females and their offspring and kin. They recognize their kin by comparing their scent through dorsal and anal glands that leave a "pungent" odor in the dust bathing areas. Each squirrel has its own repertoire of scents that others can use to recognize it. This allows them to know whom to act nepotistic towards when defending nests or territories or when making alarm calls. Related females will also, at times, share food and shelter. Adult males do not display nepotistic behavior and are nomadic between seasons. Belding's ground squirrels leave their burrows at sunrise. The first squirrel to enter the surface will stay at the burrow entrance until there are enough following squirrels above ground to watch for predators. The squirrels then move farther from the burrows. Most activity occurs in the morning with digging and feeding. Much of the day is spent stretched out on rocks or on the ground getting warmth from the sun. They will also maintain burrows and groom each other. When the young are above ground they will engage in play. The ground squirrels will go back into their burrows in the afternoon. Juveniles enter later than adults. Belding's ground squirrels hibernate at different times, depending on the sex and age of the individual and the altitude of their environment. Adult males go into hibernation between late July and early September when at higher altitudes. Females may follow them in late September, depending on the elevation. Juveniles follow their parent into hibernation. The ground squirrels hibernate in burrow chambers called hibernacula. Males usually hibernate alone while females tend to hibernate together. The time in which ground squirrels emerge from their hibernation also depends on different factors. At lower elevations, males emerge in February while at higher elevations, they emerge at the end of April. Belding's ground squirrels are prey for various predators and have two specific alarm calls used to warn others of predators. One call, known as the churr call or the trill, is made of a series of more than five notes given rapidly. Another alarm call is known as the whistle, which is a single high-pitched note. This call is made in response to immediate threats, usually aerial ones. All individuals in hearing range will crouch or flee into the nearest shelter.
Belding's ground squirrels have a herbivorous (granivorous, folivorous) diet. However, they will also eat insects, carrion, other vertebrates, and even other conspecifics. They mostly eat flowers and seeds but also nuts, grains, roots, bulbs, mushrooms, and green vegetation.
Belding’s ground squirrels are polygynandrous (promiscuous), meaning both males and females mate with multiple partners. The breeding season starts after hibernation, usually in late May to early June. Males fight viciously to gain access to females, grappling, kicking, scratching, and biting each other. Larger, older, and stronger males are more likely to mate. Females dig nesting burrows and gather grass and grassroots to make nests. Nesting-only territories are established around these burrows. Females protect the burrows against intruding unrelated conspecifics by attacking and chasing them. Defense of the territories lasts until the young are weaned. The gestation period lasts 23-31 days and young are born late June to early July in higher elevation regions, while in lower areas young are born in March and emerge from their dens about mid-April when the first warm days of spring begin. Females give birth to one litter per year which usually ranges from 3 to 8 young. Females do all the parenting for the young as males disperse directly after mating. In their first few weeks of life, the pups are raised underground in the nesting burrow. They first emerge from the burrows in July and early August, at least in higher elevations, and are weaned at 27 days old. At first, the young stay near the entrance to the burrow but start to explore on their third day. Males disperse from their natal burrow after they are weaned and continue to disperse after they breed successfully. Females rarely disperse from their natal burrows.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the Belding’s ground squirrel is common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...