Common mammals of western Montana. 



25 



INJURY TO CROPS. 



Side-striped ground squirrels damage crops in the same way as 

 chipmunks, but their larger size and immense cheek pouches enable 

 each animal to do a much greater amount of injury. One shot as it 

 left a stable was found to be carrying 357 kernels of whole oats in 

 its cheek pouches. (Fig. 16.) 



HABITS. 



These animals are true ground squirrels, as distinguished from 

 chipmunks, and hibernate during the winter. In western Montana 

 they usually " hole up " in September and reappear in March. 



Fig. 16. — Dissection showing 357 kernels of whole oats in cheek pouches of side-striped 



ground squirrel. 



In food habits the striped ground squirrel is intermediate be- 

 tween the Columbian squirrel and the chipmunk, for although it 

 cats green vegetation freely, it is especially fond of seeds, grain, and 

 berries. Unlike its bigger relative, it has immense cheek pouches 

 and habitually carries food in them. 



Probably this animal raises but one litter of young a year. The 

 young, averaging about four to the litter, appear above ground 

 during the latter part of May or early June. 



POISONING SIDE-STRIPED GROUND SQUIRRELS. 



Owing to the fact that these squirrels habitually carry food in 

 their cheek pouches, the} 7 are very easily poisoned by baits coated 



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