138 



Order RODENTIA 



Fig. 78. — Franklin's ground squirrel. 



mm.). Adults in early summer weigh slightly more than a 

 pound (380-490 gm.). 



The skull is 52-55 mm. (about 2]/^ inches) long; the rostral 

 portion or snout of the skull is broad and elongate (nasals more 

 than 17 mm. long) ; the postorbital processes are angled back- 

 ward, fig. 73b. Dental formula: I 1/1, C 0/0, Pm 2/1, M 3/3. 



Life History. — The Franklin's ground squirrel lives in habi- 

 tats that are similar to those of the thirteen-lined ground squir- 

 rel except that generally they contain taller and thicker grass and 

 more brush. It does not often stray as far into the open as does 

 the thirteen-liner ; its shyness and its preference for thicker 

 cover make it seem relatively scarce, although it is sometimes 

 seen scurrying across a highway. 



Young, usually numbering four or five in a litter, are born 

 about mid-May. They develop rapidly and by July are foraging 

 for themselves. Like their parents, they relish grasses, other 

 herbaceous plants, seeds, and some insects. Members of this 

 species may sometimes be seen feeding on carcasses of animals 

 killed on highways. They are said to kill and feed on other 

 animals, and have been accused of eating eggs occasionally. By 

 fall, they have stored up great quantities of fat in their bodies 

 to tide them over the long winter months. 



