32 



SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 



distribution so far as known. The western limits of its range are 

 roughly indicated by Fort Garland, Twin Lakes, South Park, and 

 Denver, Golo. ; Green River and Douglas, Wyo. ; and Fort Custer, Park 

 City, and Chief Mountain Lake, Mont. Specimens have been taken by 

 Mr. E. W. ISTelson, at Spriugerville, Ariz., and the species has been 

 recorded from several places in western New Mexico and Colorado, but 

 the relation of these points to the main area of distribution is not at 

 present clear. 



In short, it occupies all of the prairie region east of the Rocky 

 Mountains and is a true prairie-dweller, never entering a timbered 

 region any more than the tree squirrels wander from their forest homes. 

 But as the timber is cleared off and the country brought under culti- 

 vation, it frequently follows the fields and spreads to considerable dis- 

 tances from its origiual haunts. In Michigan forty years ago it was 

 restricted to the few small prairies of the southern part of the State; 

 to-day the southern half of the. State is nearly as open as the original 

 prairie country and the spermophiles have spread over it as far north as 

 Big Rapids in Mecosta County. In Minnesota I have observed a similar 

 extension of range, though on a smaller scale. When the timber was 

 removed the spermophiles came in from adjoining prairies and were 

 found about fields previously unoccupied by them. The westward 

 range of the species is limited by the Rocky Mountains, over which 

 they do not pass, although they have penetrated well into the valleys 

 on the east slope and even into some of the mountain parks. 



Habits. — Throughout the prairies of the Mississippi Valley the little 

 Striped Spermophile is a familiar object as it darts through the grass 

 to its hole, or is seen standing upright on its hind feet, straight and 

 motionless as a stick. With its short ears, smoothly rounded head, 

 and the forefeet drooping at its sides, there is no point about its out- 

 line to catch the eye, and at a little distance it is imx)ossible to distin- 

 guish it from an old picket pin or tent stake. While hunting sper- 

 mophiles I have frequently passed what I mistook for a stake only 

 to hear from it a shrill chatter, and as frequently have cautiously 

 approached within 3 or 4 rods of a supposed spermophile before dis- 

 covering that it was only a peg of wood. Standing thus, the animal 

 will often allow one to approach within a few yards, then quickly drop- 

 ping on all fours it utters a shrill chatter and dives into a hole close 

 by. Remain quiet for a few minutes, and its head reappears at the 

 entrance of the hole and the little black eyes peer at you curiously. 

 Walk away from the place and it will soon come out and, standing 

 up again, watch you as long as within sight, uttering an occasional 

 note of alarm or warning to its friends. Its note is a rapid trill or 

 trembling whistle, a long drawn-out chur-r-r-r-r in a high key. 



Richardson ascribes to this species a quarrelsome disposition, and 

 says: "The manners of the Leopard-marmot are similar to those of 

 A. richardsoni, but it is a more active animal and of a bolder and more 



