Wildlife Watching – Columbia Ground Squirrel

Description:

• The Columbian ground squirrel is a burrowing rodent in the same family as marmots and chipmunks.
• They have a stout body that’s about 30-40cm in length.
• They also have dense brown fur that’s darker across the back with pale eye rings and bronze fur over the nose.

Habitat:

• Columbian ground squirrels burrow in open habitat, grasslands, meadows, parkland, agricultural land, alpine meadows and clearcuts.
• They rarely leave the immediate vicinity of their burrows.
• Male’s home range is about 0.4ha; Female’s home range is 0.1ha.

Behaviour:

• They live in social colonies in a cluster of multi-chambered burrows with the burrows of the dominant males at the centre.
• Columbian ground squirrels communicate with a complex set of calls, whistles and squeaks and can often be seen “kissing” or touching noses upon greeting.
• They hibernate for 8-9 months, up to 75 percent of the year!
• Their lifespan is 2-3 years usually, but they can live as old as 10.

Diet:

• The Columbian ground squirrel is an omnivore meaning it eats both vegetation and meat.
• It’s primary diet includes roots, bulbs, stems, leaves, seeds, berries as well as some insects and occasionally, mice.

Connections:

• Unfortunately these rodents are often considered a pest, especially in agricultural areas given their burrowing nature.
• Research into ground squirrel hibernation is being done by NASA because insights into how they retain muscle mass and bone density through hibernation could be helpful for space travel.

Cool Facts:

• A group of ground squirrels is called a colony or a scurry.
• These critters are true hibernators, spending the winter months curled in a tight ball, barely breathing.
• Each sex and age group hibernates at different soil depths: males wake up first to sort out dominance, then females wake up a week or two later.