THE GROUND SQUIRRELS OF CALIFORNIA. 



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Rarely do Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels assume the upright 

 picket-pin pose so characteristic of some others of the species. They 

 most often maintain crouching attitudes when at rest. When running, 

 the gait is clumsy, as compared with the chipmunks usually to be seen 

 close at hand. The tail is rather longer than in others of the smaller 

 sized ground squirrels, and is more conspicuously displayed, often up 

 over the back, or, when running, either held vertically or frisked 

 violently fore and aft. This squirrel seems to be, as a rule, almost 

 devoid of voice. As far as our own experience has gone, there is only 

 a single chirp of alarm, not loud nor high-pitched, and even this is 

 uttered but rarely. One observer (W. P. Taylor, MS) has been 

 fortunate enough to run across a talkative individual. This animal was 

 watched as it sat bolt upright on a log uttering a " sharp call note, 

 to-chick, sometimes varying this to tachack, p'r'r'r'r." A "general 

 squirrel-like quality" was ascribed to these notes. At each utterance 

 a violent flirt of the tail was given. 



Speaking of habitat again, the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel 

 shows decided preference for rocky slopes or forest floors littered with 

 logs, but at the same time without heavy undergrowth. Open ground 

 is preferred ; yet it keeps out of large grassy meadows, save as visiting 

 the margins of these where they adjoin the woods. Again we see adjust- 

 ment so that each of the different kinds of rodents keeps to a separate 

 forage area without undue waste of energy in competing with 

 another. In the higher, rougher parts of the mountains we have often 

 found the Copperheads inhabiting rock slides. Here, as in the other 

 places, where there are logs or scattered rocks, the object appears to be 

 to secure protection for their burrows, so that these can be located 

 beneath heavy objects and thus prove difficult or impossible for badgers, 

 coyotes or bears to dig out. 



. The mouths of the burrows vary in diameter from 2 to 2 \ inches, and 

 the direction taken is usually steeply down into the ground for a foot 

 or more. Unfortunately, we have never availed ourselves of an oppor- 

 tunity to dig out the burrow system of a Golden-mantled Ground 

 Squirrel. We infer it to be simple and relatively short, for two reasons : 

 the mounds at the mouths of the burrows are usually small in quantity 

 of earth composing them ; and the big roots, logs or rocks beneath which 

 the burrows in practically all cases lead, would seem to do away with 

 the need of an extensive and deeply penetrating system so as to secure 

 safety from enemies which pursue their prey by digging. 



The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is a spermophile in the truest 

 sense of the word ; it is preeminently a gatherer and eater of seeds, and 

 most of its time aboveground seems to be occupied in diligent search 

 for this sort of food. The cheek-pouches in this squirrel are developed 

 to a maximum degree, and it is no uncommon thing to see an individual 

 returning to its burrow from a foraging expedition with its two pouches 

 so distended with seeds that the head seems double its ordinary width. 

 We have counted 636 seeds from the two pouches of one squirrel. 



Some seeds identified in cheek-pouch contents saved are: Goose 

 grass {Galium aparine), rice-root lily (Fritillaria sp.), pentstemon 

 {Pentstemon azureus), and silver pine (Pimis monticola). In the late 

 summer and autumn months great activity is shown in garnering 

 chinquapins, and there seems good reason to believe that large stores 



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