168 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



loses its reddish cast, and the hair becomes yellowish or grayish brown 

 in appearance. There is thus some variation in the tones of coloration 

 shown by squirrels of this species at different times of the year, irrespective 

 of molt. 



Belding Ground Squirrel. Citellus beldingi (Merriam) 



Field characters. — Body size about that of House Rat ; tail sparsely haired at sides, 

 and short, decidedly less than half length of head and body; ears small and round, not 

 pointed or tufted. (See pi. 2.) Head and body 7 to 8^2 inches (180-215 mm.), tail 

 2% to 3 inches (60-74 mm.), hind foot about 1% inches (41-45 mm.), ear from crown 

 % to % inch (8-13 mm.) ; weight ly^ to IQi/i ounces (207-294 grams). General color- 

 ation light yellowish brown, paler on under surface of body; a broad area of bright 

 reddish brown down middle of back. Voice : General warning call of 5 to 8 shrill short 

 whistles, seek, in quick succession; females with young utter a single note, e-chert', at 

 intervals. Workings : Burrows in ground, surface openings about 2 inches in diameter. 



Occurrence. — Common I'esident in higher and more easterly portions of Yosemite 

 region, chiefly but not entirely in Hudsonian Zone. Recorded from near Porcupine Flat 

 and from near Merced Lake eastward to Mono Lake Post Office and to Fanington ranch 

 near Williams Butte. Ranges upward to 11,500 feet as on Parsons Peak, and higher yet 

 on Conness Mountain. Inhabits chiefly grassland, occasionally rocky places, or floor of 

 open forest. Diurnal. 



The Belding Ground Squirrel is a hardy, ground-dwelling member of 

 the squirrel family inhabiting the meadows and other grass-producing areas 

 in the higher and more easterly portions of the Yosemite section. This 

 species is often called 'picket-pin' because of the erect, stake-like posture 

 which it assumes when on the lookout for danger (pi. 2). Some persons 

 have referred to it as "spermophile" (seed eater). Both of these names 

 have a measure of appropriateness not always to be found in vernacular 

 names. This squirrel is named for Lyman Belding, the naturalist formerly 

 resident in Stockton who collected the specimen from which the species was 

 first scientifically described. 



The range of the Belding Ground Squirrel begins on the west slope of 

 the Sierras at about the lower margin of the Hudsonian Zone. The western- 

 most report of its occurrence is from the upper Yosemite Creek in a loca- 

 tion west of Porcupine Flat and due north of the Yosemite village. The 

 first specimens actually obtained by our party were collected about two 

 miles east of Porcupine Flat. Merced Lake is the westernmost point of 

 record for the southern part of the section, in the drainage of the upper 

 Merced River. The maximum abundance of the species is to be found on 

 the larger high mountain meadows, such as Tuolumne Meadows, in the 

 heart of the Hudsonian Zone. (See pi. 18&.) While one of us was travers- 

 ing the meadows in Tioga Pass on July 13, 1915, fully 100 of these squirrels 

 were observed ; and an equal number was counted about two weeks later 

 while we were going along the floor of Lyell Caiion. The range of the 



