Genus Citellus (Ground Squirrels) 



To tliis genus belong's our well known ground-squirrels or 

 sperniophiles, a group of rodents showing* a great diversity of form 

 and color. Some species have rather small bodies and short tails, 

 others have larg-e bodies and long bushy tails not unlike our tree- 

 squirrels (Genus Sciurus). They are more or less striped, spotted 

 or marked in various colors. 



These squirrels are sociable, active little creatures, living in 

 burrows or among the rocks. They are locally known as gophers, 

 which is very confusing* as the true gopher is a different animal, 

 having external cheek pouches, while the ground-squirrels have 

 internal cheek pouches. 



Wyoming Ground-Squirrel, Citellus elegans. 



We have records of this squirrel from Moffat, Eagle, Larimer, 

 Jackson, Clear Creek, Summit, Rio Blanca, Routt, Grand, Gar- 

 field and Pitkin Counties. 



We have no record of its occurrence below 6,000 feet eleva- 

 tion, and, with the exception of the prairie-dogs, it is the most 

 destructive rodent found in the State. It eats grain and tubers 

 of all kinds, native grasses, timothy and alfalfa. 



The Wyoming ground-squirrel is active only about five months 

 in the year, from about April 1 to September 1. These dates var}^- 

 ing in different localities. 



The young are born in May and number from six to ten, ac- 

 cording to the dissections I have made of gravid females. 



Rock Squirrel, Citellus grammurus. 



We have recorded this squirrel in Colorado on the eastern 

 slope, from the edge of the foothills up to 8,000 feet elevation, and 

 the New Mexico line, north, to within a few miles of the Colorado- 

 Wyoming line, where we have a specimen from the Keach Ranch, 

 near Alford P. 0. 



On the Western Slope we have records of the occurrence of the 

 rock-squirrel as follows : New Castle, Rifle, Carbondale and Glen- 

 wood Springs in Garfield County ; Cedaredge, Eckert, Cory, Delta 

 and Hotchkiss in Delta County; Grand Junction, Fruita, Paonia 

 and Clifton in Mesa County, and Montrose in Montrose County. 

 Warren reports it from Crestone, Saguache County, and under the 

 name of Citellus variegatus utah from Montezuma, San Miguel, 

 Montrose, Mesa, Delta and Garfield Counties. 



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