f 



The Striped. Spermophiles or Ground 

 Squirrels of Colorado 



fCitelhis tridecemlineatus pallidus and Citclliis 

 tridecemlineatns parvus ) 



By W. L. Burnett 



ArKNOWLEDGMENTS 



The writer wishes to offer the following acknowledgments of 

 assistance in his work : to Professor C. P. Gillette, under whose 

 direction I have worked, and who has at all times given his advice 

 and criticism in the work ; to Mr. C. J. Elliott, of Wolf Creek, 

 who entertained me several days at his ranch and gave all the 

 assistance possible in the Avork of collecting squirrels on his place ; 

 to Mr. E. H. Thomas, of San Acacio, who gave his time and the 

 hospitality of his home while the writer was working on the little 

 striped ground squirrel, Citellus tridecemlineatus parvus ; to Mr. 

 L. C. Bragg, of the Department of Entomology, Colorado Experi- 

 ment Station, and Mr. George M. List, Deputy State Entomolo- 

 gist, who have kindly assisted in the identification of the insects 

 found in a majority of the stomachs. 



One hundred letters of inquiry were sent out to the ranchmen 

 in different })arts of the state for their opinions concerning the 

 food habits of the striped ground squirrel. We received in reply 

 seventy answers. The correspondents are too numerous to men- 

 tion by name, but I extend to them my appreciation for prompt 

 replies and thoughtful consideration of questions asked. 



[NTRODUCTION 



Throughout the State of Colorado large numbers of small 

 rodents live in burrows and runways, and in sections where forage 

 or grain crops are raised they cause serious loss to the ranchmen 

 and stock-growers by the destruction of crops. These rodents 

 are of herbivorous habits, but almost all eat flesh to some extent. 

 For the past three years the writer has devoted considerable of 

 his time to the study of the food habits of these destructive 

 rodents, and has collected data relative to their distribution and 

 economic importance from the farmer's standpoint. Along this 



