SQUIRREL FAMILY 



183 



The group of Ground Squirrels typified by the 

 Columbian is found in the extreme Northwest, 

 reaching through British Columbia up to and 

 across Alaska, and as far west as Siberia. The 

 animal resembles its southern cousins in many 

 respects, except that it is about half as large 

 again as the usual type. It is the size of a large 

 cat, with heavy body, short tail, and thick fur. 



On account of its bleak environment, some 

 change also is noted in its habits. It greedily 

 eats roots and tubers and usually prefers a snug 

 hole in the rocks to digging very far down in 

 the hard soil. The animal is sluggish in its 

 actions, and falls an easy prey to its enemies 

 including man. This is, in fact, one of the few 



Spermophiles that men eat. Its flesh is said to 

 be well-flavored. 



From four to six months in the year it hiber- 

 nates, this long period being necessary on account 

 of the length of winter. One animal was 

 examined during this sleep, and it was found 

 that the heart action was reduced to four faint 

 beats per minute, the temperature was only fifty- 

 eight degrees, and there was no visible breathing. 

 The circulation of the blood was so feeble that 

 when a limb was amputated, only a few drops of 

 blood slowly oozed from the wound while the 

 nerves showed no sensitiveness. In fact, the 

 animal was in a condition of suspended anima- 

 tion, as if under the influence of chloroform. 



BUSHY-TAILED GROUND SQUIRREL 



Citellus grammurus (Say) 



Other Names. — Rock Squirrel. Gray Digger. Scrub 

 Gopher, Spermophile. 



General Description. — A large, long-tailed, full- 

 bodied Ground Squirrel. Head blunt ; ears of moderate 

 height ; body not excessively heavy ; tail very long, 

 nearly half of total length and quite bushy, flat; legs 

 of moderate length; soles of feet smooth; general 

 coloration drab or sepia, thickly sprinkled with small 

 whitish spots ; hairs fairly long and coarse. 



Dental Formula. — Same as foregoing. 



Pelage. — Adults ; Sexes identical, seasonal varia- 

 tion not conspicuous. Back and sides thickly sprinkled 

 with indistinct, small, whitish or pale brown spots of 

 sepia on drab ground color. Color below, brownish- 

 white or grayish ; tail grizzled brown with hairs annu- 

 lated, under surface grayer than upper surface. 

 Young: Paler in color with distinct white neck patches : 

 spotting dimmer than on adults. 



Measurements. — Length. 20 inches ; tail vertebrae, 

 8.5 inches; hind foot, 2.2 inches. 



Range. — Park region of the Rockies from Central 

 Colorado south to Mexico. 



Food. — A number of plants and their seeds and 

 probably some insect food. 



Related Species 



Bushy-tailed Ground Squirrel. — Citellus gram- 

 murus grammurus (Say). The typical animal of the 

 above description. From Central Colorado south to 

 Mexico in park region of the Rockies. 



California Ground Squirrel. — Citellus grammurus 

 bccchcyi (Richardson). Smaller than the typical form 

 with body more slender and tail shorter. West of the 

 Sierra Nevada in California. 



Texas Rock Squirrel. — Citellus grammurus hucklryi 

 (Slack). Like the Bushy-tailed Ground Squirrel in 

 size and form, but with anterior half of the dorsal sur- 

 face black and hairs elsewhere much blacker. Middle 

 Texas to western Texas. 



Douglas's Bushy-tailed Ground Squirrel. — Citellus 

 grammurus douglasii (Richardson). Size intermediate; 

 shoulder patches black. Northern California and Ore- 

 gon. 



Fisher's Bushy-tailed Ground Squirrel. — Citellus 

 grammurus fisheri (Merriam). Similar to the Bushy- 

 tailed Ground .Squirrel, but sides of neck and shoulder 

 stripes heavier white. Western border of Nevada, 

 central and southern California. 



; The group of Ground Squirrels which the 

 Bushy-tailed Ground Squirrel typifies, resembles, 

 perhaps more closely than any others of the 

 family, the large Gray Squirrels of the trees. 

 The Bushy-tailed has the largest and bushiest 

 tail of all the Ground Squirrels and its general 

 appearance is very similar to that of the true 

 Gray Squirrels, Sciu7-iis, but it may be distin- 



guished from the latter by its mottled appear- 

 ance and the fact that it sticks pretty closely to 

 mother earth. Seven subspecies of this form 

 are recognized north of the Rio Grande, all very 

 similar in most characteristics. 



The Bushy-tailed Ground Squirrel or "' Scrub 

 Gopher," as it is sometimes called, diiifers only 

 slightly in habits from the Striped Spermophile, 



